Renowned Pikkardiyska Tertsia begins its third North American tour (03/05/06)

Renowned Pikkardiyska Tertsia begins its third North American tour

by Yarema Belej

PARSIPPANY, N.J. - Pikkardiyska Tertsia's songs and sounds remain with the listener long after the CD has stopped spinning. They speak to their audience quietly and purposefully. They are one of the most unique acts to emerge out of Ukraine since its freedom.

Best known for their unique a capella singing, this group of six very talented Ukrainian singers has finalized its North American Tour schedule: concerts are scheduled in major cities from Chicago to New York, all within the month of March.

The group has gained a large audience within Ukraine and abroad. The upcoming tour marks Pikkardiyska Tertsia's third such trip to North America; the group has also performed throughout Europe, including Poland, Germany, Italy, Russia and France. They have also performed benefit concerts; for example, an appearance on French TV raised money for children with cerebral palsy.

The artistry and performing skills of Ukrainian singers were highly appreciated by listeners in Munich where seven years ago Pikkardiyska Tertsia was the first group from Eastern Europe to take part in the International Festival of a capella music called Vokal Total.

The sextet is well-known in Donetsk - starting from 1992, when a song by the group closed the music festival Freedom of Choice, and when the Chervona Ruta festival took place there - as well as in Ternopil, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, Ivano-Frankivsk and Chernivtsi, where the group won the grand prix and three first prizes in different categories at the festival Dolya-94. However, the singers' creative work is especially appreciated in Kyiv and their native Lviv.

Pikkardiyska Tertsia is as unique as its name, which translates to "Picardian Chord." Used in European classical music, the term refers to a harmonic device in which a major chord is used at the end (but not always) of a musical section in a minor key. It is a musical device that is unusual to the ear, and often can easily change the mood of the song.

The group started as a quartet that sang ancient and folk Ukrainian songs in 1992. Soon they grew into a sextet comprising Andrii Kapral, Andrii Shavala, Volodymyr Yakyments, Bohdan Bohach, Roman Turianyn and Yaroslav Nudyk.

Pikkardiyska Tertsia has amassed a repertoire of classical, liturgical, folk and original songs that numbers more than 300 songs. Unfortunately for its fans, not all have been recorded.

The group has released eight albums to date - including "A Garden of Angelic Songs," "I'll Invent the World," "Anthology" and "Eldorado" - that have sold very well in Ukraine and abroad. Pikkardiyska Tertsia has also recorded with Ukrainian pop superstar Ruslana. Furthermore, other performance recordings are available online and at many kiosks during Ukrainian festivals.

Pikkardiyska Tertsia's North American tour includes concerts in: Cleveland (March 4), Chicago (March 11), Detroit (March 12), Washington (March 18), Philadelphia (March 19), New York (March 24) and Toronto (March 26). The group plans to present a completely new program titled "Anthology: Volume II" during the tour.

For ticket information please refer to the concert ad or the "Out and About" section in this week's newspaper, or log on to http://www.tertsia.info.

| Home Page |