My fields of wheat

Kupalo songfolkComposerArranger

Mar 19

Written By andrew waller

Translated Text

Score Ukrainian

Score Transliterated

My fields of wheat | Ой, на горі жита много | Oj, na hori zhyta mnoho

Arranger: Ishtvan Marton | Іштван Мартон

This humorous folk song from the Transcarpathian region is arranged by composer Ishtvan Marton. It’s a ritual song that would be performed during harvest season. The lyrics describe playful village girls who want to reap the abundant wheat high on a hilltop, but they forget their sickles and leave the work to the boys. The Ukrainian-born Marton studied music in Hungary. In the 1950s, he returned to Western Ukraine to work with the Transcarpathian National Choir. He arranged folk songs, wrote dance music and composed original pieces. He later served as artistic director of the Hungarian Folk Ensemble and Philharmonic, and was named an Honoured Artist of Ukraine. As inspiration, many Ukrainian composers have tapped into the vast repertoire of Ukrainian traditional folk music, much of which has been orally passed down through generations.

This song is part of Vesnivka's repertoire of ritual songs reflecting the seasonal cycle of an agrarian society. Its playful nature and light humour makes it a pleasure to perform.