Those who attended last December’s ‘Carols in the Circus’ event would have heard guest soloist Nicole Medin in action. Now she is returning to Bath to appear at a special concert being held at the Abbey at midday on Saturday, February 24th.
This ‘Light from the Dark’ event is in support of Ukraine – at the second anniversary of the Russian invasion and current war – and features a piano recital by Mariia Yaremak.
It’s been organised by the Friends of Oleksandriya Charitable Association, in partnership with the Rotary Club of Bath, who have so far managed to raise more than £80,000 which enabled them to buy 13 7.5kW generators as well as a 70kW generator for the children’s hospital in Oleksandriya and a 100kW generator for the Central hospital of Oleksandriya which was crucial humanitarian aid in times when hundreds of Russian missiles caused severe damage to the infrastructure of Ukraine and the people of Oleksandriya were left without light and warmth.
The Concert of Light and Hope hosted by the Friends last year on the first anniversary of the beginning of the war in Ukraine at Bath Abbey not only enabled Ukrainian refugees in Bath and North East Somerset and Ukraine supports to gather in the very heart of Bath to learn through the music the fascinating and tragic story of the first year of war but also profits from the concert gave the Friends needed funds to buy an ambulance car for the Children’s Hospital in Oleksandriya and a communal taxi for people with moving difficulties.
Due to the support of the Plant and Hire Aid Alliance and its CEO Jeremy Fish who joined the team of the Friends’ trustees in March 2023 and Kosice Rotary Club in Slovakia, the generators, together with a multitude of other humanitarian aid i.e. flour, children’s products, wheelchairs etc., and the vehicles were shipped to Oleksandriya.
This year the fundraising lunchtime recital Light from the Dark at Bath Abbey has been announced to help send a school bus to Oleksandriya Territorial Community, an area in Ukraine which has built ties of friendship with communities in Bath and North East Somerset and signed a friendship agreement with Bath and North East Somerset in summer 2023.
Iryna Cheremys, the Deputy of the Mayor of Oleksandriya, said, “The current school bus is very old and unreliable. It is in a very poor condition and needs repairs regularly. Countless times, the children failed to get to their school or were disturbingly late due to its breakdowns. For the children living in villages Pishchanyi Brid, Pustelnykove and Korolivka it is the only way of getting to school. The Izmailivska school would be very grateful to have a new school bus funded.”
Zhenya Shkil is a local resident of Ukrainian origin and the founding member of Friends of Oleksandriya and one of the organizers of the concert, “As the second anniversary of the war in Ukraine is approaching, we would like to invite you to Bath Abbey to a lunchtime recital Light from the Dark where you will have a unique opportunity to listen to the wonderful music of a young Ukrainian composer and pianist Mariia Yaremak, the voice of Nicole Medin, the ingenious playing of the local violinist Tim Robb, and the marvellous voices of the Ukrainian Choir Harmony.
The recital will feature Mariia’s original compositions, as well as arrangements of ancient Ukrainian melodies in the style of fantasy.
The aim of this recital is to express gratitude to the residents of Bath and North East Somerset for their ongoing support of Ukraine and Ukrainians. Although the event is free, we will ask people to donate as we urgently need to buy a school bus for the children in Oleksandriya.”
Mariia Yaremak is a professional composer who works with orchestras and films in Ukraine and internationally. Over the past year, she has performed more than 40 charity concerts for Ukraine, including the Royal Evening in the UK and one of the UN-related events in the USA. Her works have garnered several million views on social media and have been performed in many countries around the world.
The free ticket can be booked here https://secure.wayforpay.com/payment/lightfromthedark
