Oh, the grey cuckoo

Kupalo songfolkComposerArranger

Mar 19

Written By andrew waller

Translated Text

Score Ukrainian

Score Transliterated

Oh, the grey cuckoo | Ой, сивая зозуленька | Oj, syvaja zozulen'ka

Arranger: Mykola Leontovych | Микола Леонтович

This maiden's lament of loss and woe was arranged by the renowned Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych, who was also a folk-song collector and musico-ethnographer. Through the imagery of a nightingale, a maiden bemoans her fate. As inspiration, many Ukrainian composers have drawn on the vast repertoire of Ukrainian traditional folk music, much of which has been passed down orally through generations. Most of the music from the Ukrainian folk song genre falls within two main areas: music that reflects the important stages of a person’s life, such as carefree youth, unrequited love, courtship, marriage, motherhood, and music that reflects the seasonal cycle of a predominantly agrarian society. Ukrainian folk song tradition is rich with imagery and conveys an array of emotions.

This folk song was often performed by Vesnivka in its early years as a girls’ choir. It was a favourite of audiences as well as for the choristers.