Byzantine Men’s Choir of the Province of Overijssel to perform at Dionys Church on November 13
Rheine. The Byzantine Male Choir of the Province of Overijssel will give a concert on November 13 (Sunday) at 5 p.m. in the city church of St. Dionysius. The program will include Byzantine liturgical and secular choral music. Organizers are the twinning association Rheine and the partner committee Borne. It is the last major joint event this year, to which the organizers cordially invite the population.
The program includes well-known works by Tchaikovsky, Grechaninoff, Bortniansky and others. One piece that the choir has added to the program at short notice due to current events is “Prayer for Ukraine” (Bozhe velykyi jedynyj). Published in 1885, it is a patriotic Ukrainian hymn. The song became a regular closing hymn in services of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and other churches. It gained national importance when it was performed by mass choirs during the Ukrainian War of Independence in 1917 – 1920. And immediately after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the work was spontaneously performed worldwide by several choirs at the end of February 2022. The prayer for Ukraine will be sung at the end of the program.
The 38 members of the choir, which has performed several times in Rheine, come from different regions of Twente. Performances take place regularly in all regions of the province. Especially for social projects the choir was regularly engaged. There have been many performances in hospitals as well as retirement and nursing homes.
The basic requirements for active participation in this choir, which was founded at the beginning of 2000, are musical feeling and affinity for this eastern form of choral singing. The musical director is Marian Stouwdam. The extensive music library is regularly supplemented with original works from the Orthodox monasteries and churches of Ukraine.
Soloists will be Ton Somhorst and Fritz Roeloffzen. The program will be moderated by Inge de Vries.
There will be no entrance fee. However, the organizers ask for a donation at the end. The proceeds will be used to cover the costs of this special concert.
Three years ago, the choir already performed in the Dionysius Church. Here is an introduction to this fantastic choral music: