The cuckoo flies

LiturgicalComposerArranger

Mar 18

Written By andrew waller

Translated Text

Score Ukrainian

Score Transliterated

The cuckoo flies | Летіла зозуля | Letila zozulja

Arranger: V. Lystopad | В. Листопад

This sorrowful piece about young love that is forever lost is typical of many Ukrainian folk songs. 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. 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 piece was sung by Vesnivka at the prestigious international Eisteddfod competition in Llangollen, North Wales, in 1996. Vesnivka won First Prize in the Folk Competition, competing against 22 other world-class ensembles. Vesnivka was also awarded the esteemed W.S. Gwynn Williams International trophy for outstanding performance and the Eisteddfod Medal.