After the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, I made the decision that it was important to stay connected — to be together. I moved to the United Kingdom to join my daughter. At first, there was a complete sense of disorientation. A constant question stayed with me: what is the purpose of my work now? And there was no answer… Then, quite unexpectedly, I saw an announcement from the Royal Opera House about a new volunteer project — a choir bringing together Ukrainians and Londoners. It felt like a lightning strike: this is mine.
For four years now, I have been volunteering in this project alongside my colleagues. With every concert, we realise how important it is — both for us and for British audiences. First of all, for us, of course. So that we are known, so that we are heard, so that we are understood. Please follow our performances, support us with your presence and your applause. There is still so much beautiful Ukrainian music ahead to share.
SONGS FOR UKRAINE
The Songs for Ukraine Chorus was founded in spring 2023 by the Royal Ballet and Opera in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Now an independent choir, it brings together UK-based Ukrainians – from professional singers to newcomers, many displaced by war – to celebrate Ukraine’s rich musical heritage and enduring resilience. The Chorus is conducted by Bohdan Parashchak, a second-generation Ukrainian, professional musician, and graduate of the Royal College of Music. The Chorus has performed at leading venues including the Royal Opera House, St Paul’s Cathedral, the London Palladium, and Southwark Cathedral, and has been featured by the BBC, CNN, and ITV. In 2025, the Chorus performed at His Majesty The King’s Community Music Makers Reception at Windsor Castle. On Christmas Day 2025, members of the Songs for Ukraine Chorus performed for millions across the UK and around the world, singing at the conclusion of His Majesty The King’s annual Christmas Day Broadcast – one of the most-watched programmes of the festive period in Britain. Recorded in the magnificent Westminster Abbey and broadcast on BBC One, the Chorus performed a new arrangement of Carol of the Bells, based on Shchedryk, originally composed by the Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych.
The Chorus remains a powerful voice for the Ukrainian community in the UK, many of whom have been forced from their homes by war. MILESTONES
In February 2025, the Chorus marked the anniversary of the full-scale invasion with Ukraine Stands:
Songs of Courage and Resilience at Southwark Cathedral.
Later that year, it performed at His Majesty the King’s Community Music
Makers Reception at Windsor Castle. Following its Christmas concert at Farm Street Church in 2025, the Chorus participated in His Majesty the King’s Christmas Day Broadcast at Westminster Abbey, performing Carol of the Bells, the famous English-language arrangement of the traditional Ukrainian song Shchedryk by Mykola Leontovych.
In summer 2024, Songs for Ukraine joined the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra to perform Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, with Ode to Joy sung in Ukrainian at St Paul’s Cathedral under the baton of Keri-Lynn Wilson. Since its founding, the Chorus has appeared at leading UK venues including St Paul’s Cathedral, the Royal Opera House, Bradford Cathedral, the Palace Theatre, and the London Palladium, and has been featured by major media outlets including CNN, BBC, ITV, The Times , and The Telegraph.
The Chorus was established in spring 2023 by the Royal Ballet and Opera as part of its Creative Exchange programme, in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, initially bringing together over 100 Ukrainians – from professional singers to newcomers, many displaced by war.
As of autumn 2024, Songs for Ukraine became an independent ensemble, continuing to develop as a platform for Ukrainian music and fundraising for Ukraine.
BOHDAN PARASHCHAK – main conductor A second-generation Ukrainian, Bohdan is a professional musician and conductor, and a graduate of the Royal College of Music. He has been part of the Songs for Ukraine Chorus since its founding in 2023, conducting and co-conducting performances in London and Bradford. In 2025, Bohdan conducted members of the Chorus at His Majesty The King’s Community Music Makers Reception at Windsor Castle. Later that year, he had the honour of conducting Carol of the Bells for His Majesty the King’s annual Christmas Day Broadcast, performed by the SFU Chorus with members of the Royal Opera Chorus, military musicians, and the Royal Harpist. As Musical Director of Forward Opera, Bohdan has conducted productions of Mozart and Verdi at venues across London. He has also led a number of Ukrainian choirs in the UK and abroad, including the 70-voice Anniversary Chorus, which performed at Westminster Cathedral (2017) and at Saint-Sulpice, Paris (2019).
His concert work includes appearances at the Montreux Festival, the Royal Academy of Music, and festivals in Strasbourg, Rome, and Canada. Bohdan also maintains an active career as an accompanist.
