by Sean Hillen
PROBABLY never in the annals of musical history has a Ukrainian saxophonist-cum-accordionist and an Irish bodhrán player come together as a highly-entertaining duet.
But they did this week at a celebratory Yuletide event at Garradh Colmcille in Falcarragh attended by women, men and children representing diverse nationalities including Canadian, South African, American, Irish, Ukrainian and English.
To make the occasion even more unique, Reuben O’Conluain, Irish-language professor and cultural enthusiast, and multi-instrumentalist Yuriii Hryhoriev were joined by talented Olena Korotka, a classically-trained orchestral violinist from the now militarised region of Kherson in southern Ukraine.
And the proceedings didn’t end with delightful musical renderings ranging from traditional Irish and Ukrainian folk tunes to contemporary ballads such as Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah,’ with a few festive seasonal songs including ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ tossed in for good measure. Nimble dancers also took to the floor in carefree abandon to the lively rhythms of the instruments.
Organised by Armen Galstyan, a refugee from Odessa and hosted by local community activist at Pobal le Chéile, Rosemary Grain, the event highlighted the interconnectedness of people across borders illustrating how humanity, regardless of language, skin colour, religion or nationality, is one and the same entity, each element dependent upon the other for peace, progress and prosperity.
