Ukrainians living in Galway feature in new choir documentary with Phil Coulter
A quartet of refugees resident in Galway – all members of the National Ukrainian Choir – are among the stars of a new documentary that captures their lives from fleeing a war zone to recording a new version of an iconic song written by one of Ireland’s greatest ever songwriters.
Alina Andriienko, Albina Nedostup and Viktoriia Yermolieva from Galway city, and Kateryna Samko, from Oughterard, are all members of the 40-strong National Ukrainian Choir, all of whom have fled Ukraine as a result of the war.
And now a new documentary, directed by Jessica Leen from Bold Lip productions, has captured their journey from the choir’s inception to the launch of a new version of Phil Coulter’s ‘Steal Away’ last year.
Phil Coulter joined members of the choir as well as the Ukrainian Ambassador to Ireland, and other distinguished guests attended a special screening of the documentary in Saint Stephen’s Church, Dublin.
Established in February 2023, Ukrainians who had recently fled war and arrived in Ireland were invited by Local Development Companies (LDCs) to join the choir as a wellbeing initiative and an opportunity for socialising.
Last year the choir released a new version of Phil Coulter’s single ‘Steal Away’ in collaboration with the singer.
The song, originally written by Coulter 41 years ago, tells the story of a couple who escape from the Troubles, and offers many parallels with the situation Ukrainians experience today.
The single was translated into Ukrainian and was launched last year at an event where the choir performed with Coulter.
The journey to releasing and performing the song, from the creation of the choir, rehearsals across the country, the launch of the single, and the overall impact of the initiative on choir members, forms the subject of the documentary which launched in Dublin last week.
Speaking at the launch of the documentary, Adeline O’Brien, CEO at Empower, the local development company for Fingal, expressed her gratitude to Phil and choir director, Julia, for the time they had given to this initiative.
“This documentary perfectly encapsulates the journey this choir has been on and how instrumental music and song can be in uniting communities. The lyrics of the song are just as powerful today as they were when the song was originally written,” she said.
“The choir has played a critical role in the lives of its members from Galway, it has been a safe space for those fleeing the war in Ukraine to express themselves, to find friendship, to seek out new opportunities and to learn English.
“It has also inspired the creation of two further local choirs focused on integrating minority groups and we hope to see the initiative replicated in other communities across the country.
“Our community is always at the heart of what we do in local development companies and our goal is to deliver positive change for individuals and marginalised groups in our area,” she added.
Pictured: Members of the National Ukrainian Choir and Phil Coulter at the launch of the Steal Away Documentary at Saint Stephen’s Church, Dublin.