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An already unique hockey game in Winnipeg Monday night was made even more special for members of the city’s Ukrainian community, thanks to the voices of the Hoosli Ukrainian Male Chorus.
The popular local choir performed the Canadian and Ukrainian national anthems at Canada Life Centre on Jan. 9, before the exhibition matchup between the University of Manitoba Bisons men’s team and Ukraine’s national under-25 squad.
For Hoosli’s Christopher Sklepowich, it added an additional level of energy to an already-emotional experience for both players and fans.
“It was definitely a very special experience for our members — for the singers who were on the ice — and, we hope, for the Ukrainian team as well,” Sklepowich told 680 CJOB’s The Start.
“The special sound of a four-part male choir, especially in a Slavic choir… is something like an anthem. There’s just a power and a poignancy to the performance.”
The event, part of the Hockey Can’t Stop tour, marked the first time the Ukrainian team has traveled to North America. While the tour might give the players an escape from the war back home, the turmoil is never far from the minds of anyone whose families are affected.
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Sklepowich said a big part of Hoosli’s work is to keep those concerns top-of-mind for people outside the Ukrainian community as well.
“Everything we do, whether it’s performing in public, performing in private … anything that we as Ukrainian-Canadians can do to keep the conversation going, to keep the tragedy that is happening at the top of the page is part of us doing what we can from such a distance to be as supportive as we possibly can be,” he said.
“Music is very important to Ukrainians, so growing up — be it in church or be it with family, be it in the community — music was always a very big part of the cultural aspect of my life.
“Anything that speaks to your heart is something that everyone should be encouraged to follow. We, as Canadians … most of us came from somewhere, and we have a deeper appreciation for the path our ancestors took to get us to this point.”
The Ukrainian team won the game, which served as a fundraiser to support Ukrainians playing hockey, 5-1.
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