Chornobyl Songs Project: Living Culture from a Lost World produced by Maria Sonevytsky (review)

The Chornobyl Songs Project, released by Smithsonian Folkways, is a musical project under the direction of ethnomusicologist Yevhen Yefremov of the Kyiv Academy of Music and performed by a New York-based choir, Ensemble Hilka (meaning "Branch"). The material is based on the folk songs that may have been sung throughout the year in a "typical Polissian village," in this case, referring to the traditional songs of those residing largely in the area along the border of Ukraine and Belarus, a region geographically characterized mostly by woods and marsh. This setting is, of course, implicitly overshadowed by the more prominent tragic backdrop to the album—the abrupt and permanent disruption of the local inhabitants (and their traditions) in 1986 due to their close proximity to the Chernobyl disaster. The significance of this event is emphasized not in the music, but in the liner notes to the CD. Also emphasized in the liner notes is the resurgent interest in traditional music (such as the songs produced in this album) during and after the waning years of the Soviet Union.

Yefremov, a founding member of Drevo ("Tree"), a Ukrainian vocal group that performs traditional songs, has been collecting recordings in Ukraine since 1978. In the liner notes, he credits the origin of this album to an American of Ukrainian descent, producer Maria Sonevytsky, who invited him to work on the project in the United States. In addressing goals for the album, Yefremov states:

In the beginning our efforts were aimed at cultivating a characteristic Polissian timbral quality—one that is powerful (since most ceremonial songs were traditionally sung outdoors and were meant to be heard at great distances) and saturated with high overtones, especially for women. The second task was to learn the lyrics in the distinct dialect of the region, with particular attention to the phonetic reproduction of those sounds.

(p. 11)

Further stating that "a critical dimension of true folkloric singing is the element of variation, or adaptability," Yefremov indicates that in the production of the album, they were adapting to the performance at hand, or "building on the complexities of these songs as we made them our own" (p. 11). Although the extent of variation from the original would be difficult for the average listener to discern, Yefremov indicates this collaboration was a positive process, saying it "brought out the original personalities" of Ensemble Hilka (pp. 11–2).

The material itself was based on recordings collected in the region and is organized into a cycle of a "ritual year" (p. 1). Beginning with winter, the album is arranged seasonally, ending once again in the winter months. Given the detailed, translated notes and titles, the CD is obviously meant to be appreciated by anyone with an interest in the region but is targeted toward a broader audience. The notes spend a great deal of time arguing the album's importance in terms of lost culture, and both educationally and musically attempt to reach beyond a solely Ukrainian focus.

Non-Ukrainian listeners can, of course, enjoy the music by itself, and the album on its own is indeed unique, enigmatic, and absorbing. For listeners of folk music, knowing how often melodies of even differing songs are repeated, the arrangement of this album takes care to make each selection (with the exception of the first and last songs on the album, the latter a reprise of the first intended to take the listener "full circle") distinct to the listener, so that even listeners who do not understand the lyrics may still enjoy an engaging album. Ensemble Hilka demonstrates their musical professionalism well, and the aforementioned "high overtones," unique melodic structures, and varied song choices make the minimal or nonexistent instrumental background unmissed. On its own, the album is intriguing, engaging, and a good introduction to folk music of...