Song Out of Darkness – Ukrainian Music, Poetry & Art📍 St. Cuthbert’s Church, Philbeach Gardens, Earl’s Court📅 15 October 2025
Join us for Song Out of Darkness, an unforgettable evening of world-class Ukrainian music, song, poetry, and art celebrating Ukraine’s cultural identity and resilience in the face of war.
This special event also pays tribute to Londoner Vera Rich (1936–2009) — poet, translator, and journalist whose groundbreaking 1961 volume Song Out of Darkness introduced Taras Shevchenko to English-speaking readers. One of her pioneering translations will be read at the concert, honouring both her legacy and the enduring strength of the Ukrainian spirit.
🎶 Programme highlights include:
- Oksana Sliubyk – award-winning soprano from Lviv Opera
- Iryna Rodionova – acclaimed virtuoso of Ukraine’s national instrument, the bandura, joined by a children’s Bandura Ensemble
- The Spirit of Ukraine – children’s dance troupe
- Nazar Voronov – award-winning 15-year-old pianist
- Vasyl Hrynkiv – virtuoso violinist presenting the music of the Carpathian Hutsuls
- Vivo Vocal Quartet – from London’s Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral, showcasing the beauty of Ukraine’s choral tradition
🍷 Beyond the music:Guests will enjoy authentic Ukrainian refreshments while exploring Embroiderers’ Stories — a powerful tapestry of 100 panels hand-embroidered by displaced Ukrainian women, curated by London-based Polish designer Nisia Jedrychowska and inspired by celebrated artist Maria Prymachenko. Also on display: artwork painted on fragments of missile shells by Tetyana Frey, transforming devastation into beauty.
💙 Fundraising with purpose:All proceeds go to UAID International, a UK-based, volunteer-run not-for-profit delivering life-saving medical supplies and humanitarian relief to families living under the daily threat of war. Funds from this event will support Boryspil Pavlo Chubynskyi Lyceum in Ukraine, providing modern training mannequins and materials so teachers and students can learn essential first aid skills - a vital need in wartime.
Stand with Ukraine in solidarity, experience the power of its music, and help make a difference.
We look forward to seeing you!
#uaid
