Korinnya Ukrainian Folk Ensemble

4th Annual Kubasa Competition - Saturday June 14, 2008

Korinnya Ukrainian Folk Ensemble — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 13:21:00 +0000

Calgary, AB… The Korinnya Ukrainian Folk Ensemble presents its 4th annual Kubasa Competition; an evening event showcasing local Ukrainian music, culture and smoked meat. Everyone is invited to:

Taste some of the best garlic sausage in western Canada, and vote on your favourite,
Enjoy the sounds of the Korinnya Ukrainian Folk Ensemble, TRYZUB Ukrainian Dance Ensemble, Suzirya Ukrainian Dance Theatre, Polanie Polish Song and Dance Association,
and dance to entertaining Ukrainian dance band music of Kalabai Ukrainian Fusion from Edmonton.

This year's event will consist of three sets of Ukrainian entertainment – music, song and dance by performers from Calgary. In between the evening’s musical segments the guests will sample different varieties of sausage from producers across western Canada. The expected 250 guests will then vote on their favourite in each category, with the winners announced at the end of the evening.

Korinnya is a choral ensemble entertaining Calgary’s Ukrainian community since 1993. Korinnya sings traditional folk music often with the accompaniment of a four-piece orchestra. Over the past 13 years, Korinnya has shared its exuberance of the Ukrainian culture with audiences across western Canada, and has released two CD's.

Tickets are $25 each before June 1 and $30 afterward. Tables of ten may be reserved prior to June 1. Tickets are only available in advance. Purchase your tickets from Korinnya members, call 403-239-8643 or e-mail info@korinnya.com.

The 2008 Korinnya Kubasa Competition will be held on Saturday, June 14, at Calgary's St. Vladimir's Center, just off of Edmonton Trail South. Get your tickets now - Last year's event sold out early!

Baba Goes to San Diego!

Korinnya Ukrainian Folk Ensemble — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 19:39:00 +0000

We’ve gone international! We were thrilled to be invited to accompany the Suzirya Dance Theatre to the House of Ukraine Festival in San Diego, California. We flew to Los Angeles on August 31 and then by bus to San Diego. We hoped to get Baba’s toes in the Pacific that day but we ran into one of those infamous freeway traffic jams on the Friday of the long weekend and spent over fifty kilometers bumper to bumper.

The Festival Organizing Committee hosted us by the hotel pool on Friday evening and we had a chance to meet and visit with people and Baba even had a chance to go swimming – Calgary was never like this! Saturday morning we had free time so some of us went shopping and several of us including Baba took a bus tour of all the major sights of SD, and then went on a harbour cruise. SD is a very attractive city with lots of very interesting sights, as well as a large military presence as the Pacific Fleet of the U.S. Navy is stationed here. The West Coast was experiencing a very unusual heat wave; rather than a moderate 23˚ C with low humidity which is the usual weather, it was over 30 with humidity of over 90%! Pretty hot for our heavy costumes!

We had an afternoon tech rehearsal and then a concert that evening. It was well attended and we were very well received; we were only the second or third choir in the 32 year history of the festival. We met several audience members during intermission and found some who knew our families so we were never far from our Canadian prairie roots. We ended our concert with our crowd pleaser, Baba!

Sunday morning was free so some of us went to the beach to dip our toes into the Pacific. The beaches went on for miles and we could easily have spent a week there. In the afternoon we performed in Balboa Park, a very unique park with museums and a zoo in the heart of SD. Our show was on an outdoor stage in the International Village right beside the House of Ukraine. Again we met people who knew people we knew – you’re never alone when you’re a prairie Ukrainian! The temperature and humidity was a real killer but fortunately a breeze provided some relief. After the outdoor concert, we had time for a couple of hours in the pool before the zabava. That evening was a dinner and zabava and we were able to have several sing-alongs during the band breaks.

Back home via LA on Monday but this time the freeway was no problem; Baba had the pedal to the metal all the way and we got back to the airport in two hours.

We had a fantastic time and received a super warm welcome. Thank you to Suzirya for inviting us to participate with them and thank you to Vera Skop and Katya Priestley, the festival organizers who worked with us. We’ll sure miss those palm trees! Maybe Baba can go back again for a longer visit next time.

Thank you to Cathy, our director, for all of her work in organizing this tour, to Mike Wais of the San Diego Symphony for kindly lending us a double bass and a big thank you to Marko Baran of Saskatoon who joined us to play accordion and sing tenor.

Next year in the Old Country!

3rd Annual Kubasa Competition – And the Winners are?

Korinnya Ukrainian Folk Ensemble — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 14:26:00 +0000

The votes were cast by the sold-out crowd of the 300 attendees at Korinnya's annual celebration of Ukrainian music, culture and smoked meat. Everyone in Korinnya would like to congratulate Stawnichy, Polcan, and Butcher Shoppe for winning and placing within their respective categories. The competition was intense, but in the end, the best sausage won. And the winners are:

Round 1 – Garlic Sausage

First place – Stawnichy - Homestyle
Second place – Polcan – Country Sausage

Round 2 - Specialty Sausage

First place – Polcan – Hunter Sausage
Second place – Butcher Shoppe (Airdrie) – Home smoked Salsarica

Attendees were treated to performances by the Korinnya Ukrainian Folk Ensemble, Tryzub Ukrainian Dance Ensemble, the Suzirya Ukrainian Dance Theatre, and Absolutely Unplugged, all from Calgary. Those that stayed beyond the tasting danced to the unique Ukrainian sounds of Absolute.

Korinnya would also like to thank all of the suppliers and the donors for their generous contributions.

Garlic and Specialty Sausage donors:

The Butcher Shoppe Inc., Airdrie, Alberta
Dominion Meat Market, Chestermere, Alberta
Heritage Bakery & Deli, Calgary, Alberta
Illichmann’s Sausage Shop Ltd, Calgary, Alberta
Jans Meat & Delicatessen, Calgary, Alberta
Polcan Meat Products & Delicatessen, Calgary, Alberta
Stawnichy’s Meat Processors, Box 18, Mundare, Alberta
Strikers Deli and Meats, Winnipeg, Manitoba

Limited edition Shot Glass and Prizes donors:

Canadian Tire, Dalhousie Store
Chesney’s Hardware
Discount Car and Truck Rentals
Glenmore Audi Calgary
International Manpower
Multicultural Marketing
Slavutich
TeamWorks Inc.
Trademark Workwear
Wal-Mart, Northland Village
Shopping Centre
Wild Rose Brewery
And Korinnya choir members and their families

Thank you for supporting the Korinnya Ensemble. This year's fundraising will support Korinnya's international trip this August.

Stayed tuned for Korinnya’s 4th Annual Kubasa competition next year…promise of more fun, entertainment and rings of Kubasa.

Korinnya Ukrainian Folk Ensemble — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 00:28:00 +0000

3rd Annual Kubasa Competition - Saturday June 2, 2007

Calgary, AB… The Korinnya Ukrainian Folk Ensemble presents its 3rd annual Kubasa Competition; an evening event showcasing local Ukrainian music, culture and smoked meat. Everyone is invited to:

Taste some of the best garlic sausage in western Canada, and vote on your favourite,
Enjoy the sounds of the Korinnya Ukrainian Folk Ensemble, and thrilling Ukrainian dance of Calgary's Tryzub and Suzirya,
Dance to the unique Ukrainian music of Calgary’s own Absolute.

This event will consist of three sets of Ukrainian entertainment – music, song and dance by performers from Calgary. In between the evening’s musical segments the guests will sample different varieties of sausage from producers across western Canada. The expected 250 guests will then vote on their favourite in each category, with the winners announced at the end of the evening.

Korinnya is a choral ensemble entertaining Calgary’s Ukrainian community since 1993. Korinnya sings traditional folk music often with the accompaniment of a four-piece orchestra. Over the past 13 years, Korinnya has shared its exuberance of the Ukrainian culture with audiences across western Canada, and has released two CD's.

Tickets purchased before May 15 are $25 and $30 after. Tables of ten may be reserved. Tickets are only available in advance. Purchase your tickets from Korinnya members, call 403-239-8643 or 440-9585, e-mail info@korinnya.com.

The 2007 Korinnya Kubasa Competition will be held on Saturday, June 2, at Calgary's St. Stephen’s Cultural Centre, 4903 - 45th Street SW. Get your tickets now - Last year's event sold out early!

Our New Look

Korinnya Ukrainian Folk Ensemble — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 05:44:00 +0000

Though we haven't been blogging too frequently, Korinnya have been busy performing and working on this new web presence. Our new site is now up and running, and we hope you find it easier to navigate.

We've been busy over the Christmas season, performing at Calgary's Heritage Park, the CBC Knox Carol Festival and the Ukrainian Festival of Carols - all in the same weekend. Rehearsals continue for the following upcoming performances:

January 7 and 8, 2007 - carolling at the homes of our friends and supporters
Janaury 19, 2007 - performing at the Suzirya/UCPBA Malanka
January 26, 2007 - performance at the Malanka in Lethbridge, AB

Stay tuned for more performance announcements - including the third annual Korinnya Kubasa Comptition!

Cathy Lebedovich to Receive Hetman Award

Korinnya Ukrainian Folk Ensemble — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 17:48:00 +0000

Korinnya is very proud to announce our Musical Director Cathy Lebedovich has been named a recipient of the Hetman Award. This award is presented by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress - Alberta Provincial Council to recognize outstanding Alberta volunteer leaders who have made a significant contribution to the Ukrainian Canadian community. The awards are presented annually in three categories: youth, adult, and senior. This year's ceremony will be held in Edmonton on October 1.

Cathy is receiving this award to acknowledge over 20 years of service to Calgary's Ukrainian community. After arriving in Calgary with her family in 1982, she became choir director of the St. Vladimir’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church Choir, a position she still fulfills today. In 1988, she was a founding member of St. Vladimir’s Sadochok (Ukrainian Preschool) and served as registrar as well as being the first teacher of this program. As the family grew up in the community, she became involved with church youth groups, local dance groups and music lessons. Cathy has tirelessly assisted with all of the fundraising, decision making and driving that accompanies these volunteer efforts.

On top of all this, Cathy has been Musical Director of Korinnya since 1993. As director, Cathy has taken the group on tour across western Canada, as well as many performances close to home. Korinnya has produced two CDs, as well as several other recordings, under Cathy's guidance.

Everyone in Korinnya would like to state how proud we are that Cathy will receive this Award. Cathy, as we enter our fourteenth year, we can't help but feel like you are still stepping in front of us for the first time. With your boundless energy and patience, you have not only taught us the words and notes, but instilled the joy of performing within us. Congratulations from all of us - there couldn't have been a better selection. Mnohaya Lita.

New to Calgary? Come Sing With Korinnya!

Korinnya Ukrainian Folk Ensemble — Mon, 04 Sep 2006 15:43:00 +0000

With the chill in the air and the end of the Labour Day long weekend upon us, it's time once again for Korinnya to get underway for the new season (our 14th). With a new school year upon us - or maybe you're one of the many people who have moved to Calgary for work reasons - this is also a great time to join our choir.

Korinnya offers a great opportunity to meet new people, have some fun and share Ukrainian culture. Rehearsals will begin on Monday, September 11, at St. Vladimir's Ukrainian Orthodox Cultural Centre, 424 Meredith Rd. NE, in Calgary. Everyone is welcome to come out - we're looking for folks in all sections of the choir. And if you can play an instrument, our orchestra is always looking for new players. Knowledge of Ukrainian is not required - just be willing to come out and give it a try.

For more information, please call 239-8643, or write info@korinnya.com.

The People Have Spoken

Korinnya Ukrainian Folk Ensemble — Mon, 12 Jun 2006 05:34:00 +0000

Calgary’s Korinnya Ukrainian Folk Ensemble is thrilled to announce Polcan Meats and Delicatessen of Calgary was named the winner in both categories of sausage at the second annual Korinnya Kubasa Competition. Polcan's Country Style Sausage was named the best garlic sausage, while its BBQ Sausage was named the best Specialty Sausage, a category where supplier could enter a product of their choice.

The votes were cast by the sold-out crowd of 300 that attended Korinnya's annual celebration of evening of Ukrainian music, culture and smoked meat. "Everyone in Korinnya would like to congratulate Polcan for winning both of these categories in our annual competition," said Michael Monita, a member of Korinnya's Board of Directors. "The competition was intense, but in the end, the best sausage won. We would also like to thank all suppliers, as well as all other donors to the evening's raffle, for their generous contributions."

Attendees were treated to performances by the Korinnya Ukrainian Folk Ensemble, Tryzub Ukrainian Dance Ensemble, the Suzirya Ukrainian Dance Theatre, Absoultely Unplugged, all from Calgary. Those that stayed beyond the tasting danced to the unique Ukrainian sounds of the Kubasonics, all the way from Edmonton.

Competitors in the event included:

The Butcher Shoppe - Airdrie, AB
Calgary Meats and Deli – Calgary
Glengary Bison - Airdrie, AB
Polcan Meat Products and Delicatessen – Calgary
Prairie Meats – Saskatoon
Stawnichy’s Meat Processors – Mundare, AB

Kubasa Competition Tickets Now Available

Korinnya Ukrainian Folk Ensemble — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 05:12:00 +0000

Tickets are now available for this year's Korinnya Kubasa Competiton. The event will be held on Friday, June 9, at Calgary's St. Vladimir's Ukrainian Orthodox Cultural Centre. Kub connoisseurs are aready lining up for tickets!

The evening's attendees will sample kubasa from across western Canada, and will choose the faviorite kub in the land.

The evening will also feature performances by Korinnya and their guests:
- the Tryzub Ukrainian Dance Ensemble
- the Suzirya Ukrainian Dance Theatre
- The Kubasonics (who else?) will play during the event as well as for a zabava once the winners have been announced.

Tickets are $25 each before May 15, and $30 afterwards. A table of ten can be booked for $250 before May 15, and $300 after.

Tickets are available from Korinnya members, calling 403-239-8643, e-mailing info@korinnya.com, or can be ordered online by clicking here.

Get your tickets now! Last year's event sold out, and response to our initial mailing list was very strong!

The Korinnya Kubasa Competion is billed as "an evening of music, culture and smoked meat." Held for the first time in 2005, the event features a tasting of - and an open vote for - the best kubasa in the land.

King of the Ring(s)

Korinnya Ukrainian Folk Ensemble — Tue, 21 Mar 2006 06:15:00 +0000

By popular demand, the Korinnya Kubasa Competition will return! Korinnya is pleased to confirm that the 2006 Competition will be held on Friday, June 9. This event sold out with over 300 kub connoisseurs attending last year, so we are expecting even greater demand this year.

Complete details are not yet availabale, but we know people are demanding tickets! We have set up a signup sheet on our web site where you can go and tell us how many tickets you will like once they are available. To visit our Kub Competition Signup page, please click here.

The Korinnya Kubasa Competion is billed as "an evening of music, culture and smoked meat." Held for the first time in 2005, the event features a tasting of - and an open vote for - the best kubasa in the land. Entertainment is provided by Korinnya, local dance groups, and The Kubasonics, a very unique Ukrainian band from Edmonton.

To read a wrapup of last year's inagural Competition, please click here.

Strength in Numbers - Help Mel

Korinnya Ukrainian Folk Ensemble — Fri, 10 Feb 2006 04:17:00 +0000

Korinnya is proud to confirm that we will be performing at the Strength in Numbers - Help Mel benefit. This event is in support of the family of Mel Bzdel, a friend to many in the choir and Calgary's Ukrainian community. For complete information and to find out how you can contribute, please visit www.helpmel.com.

Happy New Year!

Korinnya Ukrainian Folk Ensemble — Tue, 17 Jan 2006 13:14:00 +0000

What a wonderful weekend in the mountains! Korinnya was pleased to be the guests of Vohon at the annual Malanka in Jasper at the outstanding Jasper Park Lodge. Though the drive there through the Icefields Parkway was dicy, once we arived we were treated to wonderful hospitality and sang for over 600 attendees.

The highlight of Friday night's performance was our rendition of Poyikhala Baba v Lis, a song about a grandmother who goes into the woods with a wheelbarrow - which doesn't have a front wheel (you can't make this stuff up). Well, our 'wheelbarrow' prop was left behind in Calgary. In what must be the ultimate in customer service stories, a request was put in to the groundskeeping staff when we arrived for one of their wheelbarrows. I'm not sure if Stephan called room service for this request, but nonetheless, a wheelbarrow was delivered to us in time for our performance. To top it off, the front wheel of this understudy wheelbarrow was completely flat. Thanks again to the JPL staff for coming through.

Saturday was spent doing a brief performance of carols in the afternoon, then continuing our caroling at a pivate cabin. Our visit concided with a visit from Scola Cantorum, a men's choir from Edmonton. What followed was one of those moments that make all the rehearsal time worthwhile - over 60 voices combining to belt out carols in a combination of wonderful harmony and sheer volume that shook the log cabin's foundations. We had one more performance on Saturday night at the final banquet, then many of us proceeded to take full advantage of the two dance bands that hit the stage.

And the food - oh the food. It's a brave group that decides to offer 600 people access to the JPL's buffets on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Lodge came through with outstanding choices and quality. Not to be outdone, however, was the resourcefulness of our choir and the ability of Ukrainians to survive. The road we drove up on was still closed after Friday's snow, so we had to return to Calgary using a longer route. After a few hours on the return route, out came the first Ziploc bag of sliced sausage. Then more bags . . . the cheese . . . the crackers . . . the pickles. We could have been stranded for days and not been hungry.

Thanks once again to Vohon, the organizers and the JPL for another outstanding Malanka in the Mountains.

On To Jasper / Thanks to Our Supporters

Korinnya Ukrainian Folk Ensemble — Mon, 09 Jan 2006 04:37:00 +0000

We're now into the final week of preparations before the Jasper Malanka. We are really excited about this road trip, the first time we've been to Jasper since 2001. Internet connection permitting, we will try to add new posts from the trip (almost) as they happen.

We have just finished our annual carolling adventures, roaming around Calgary and area singing for whoever would listen - and provide a few tasty treats. Sincere thanks go out to all of those who welcomed us into their homes to celebrate the season.

The highlight for many Korinnya members is the annual trip to the Maluta household for the post-carolling cheese ball and studynetz. Mr. Maluta's secret recipie lived up to its usual high standard. In the true spirit of Christmas, a care package of his fine gelled meat was delivered to the homes of other carollers that couldn't be with us that evening.

Carolling In Your Home

Korinnya Ukrainian Folk Ensemble — Thu, 01 Dec 2005 03:10:00 +0000

In addition to the many activities we're involved with over the next few weeks (see below), we are also continuing our annual tradition of Christmas carolling. On Saturday, January 7, Korinnya will be going from house to house, singing traditional carols and sharing the spirit of the season.

We would be pleased to join you and your family this holiday season. If you're in the Calgary area and would like to have us visit your home, please contact us at 403-239-8643 or info@korinnya.com to make the arrangements.

Malanka in the Mountains

Korinnya Ukrainian Folk Ensemble — Mon, 07 Nov 2005 02:53:00 +0000

We are thrilled to confirm that Korinnya will be a guest performer at Malanka in Jasper, the annual Ukrainian New Year's celebration at the Jasper Park Lodge, from January 13 - 15. For more information on this outstanding event, please click here.

Singing in Key(s)

Korinnya Ukrainian Folk Ensemble — Mon, 03 Oct 2005 02:11:00 +0000

Korinnya has recently acquired a keyboard and musical transcription software. The keyboard comes out to our rehearsals, while the software will help Cathy in preparing the sheet music that we work on each week - no more 47th generation photocopies!

These items were made available thaanks to funding from the Calgary Branch of the Ukrainian Canadian Business and Professional Club. Check out their new web site here. Our thanks go out to the Ps and Bs for their support.

Here We Go Again

Korinnya Ukrainian Folk Ensemble — Mon, 12 Sep 2005 22:01:00 +0000

The new season begins tonight. First rehearsal, time to stretch the lungs again. It'll be good to see everyone and get underway again. If you're interested in coming out, join us at St. Vladimir's Parish Centre, Calgary, at 6:45. All are welcome!

Repost - Enjoying the Summer

Korinnya Ukrainian Folk Ensemble — Mon, 12 Sep 2005 22:00:00 +0000

I'm reposting the text below, originally posted on July 17, thanks to some spam received in the comments area. New posts coming soon.

Korinnya is off for the summer, enjoying the weather now that it's stopped raining. We will get together before Calgary's GlobalFest (August 24- Sept. 1), when we will join the local Ukrainian community in this cultural showcase.

After that, as the fall approaches, we will kick off again for 2005/06. New members are always welcome, so if you're in Calgary or heading this way, don't hesitate to contact us and come out. E-mail info@korinnya.com if you would like more information.

Korinnya Goes to Edmonton!

Korinnya Ukrainian Folk Ensemble — Mon, 18 Jul 2005 00:18:00 +0000

Korinnya would like to once again than the Viter Ukrainian Dance Ensemble for having us sing with them at their performance on June 26. this was our first-ever trip to the Edmonton area, and we were really pleased with the performance and the enthusiastic audience. We hope to head up the QE2 and perform for you again very soon.

Our new bloh.

Korinnya Ukrainian Folk Ensemble — Mon, 18 Jul 2005 00:16:00 +0000

Welcome to the latest venture into the online wold for Korinnya! this is our first try at a blog - or as they say in Ukrainian, a bloh - so please feel free to comment on the site, how it works and what needs to be improved.