COSSACK CHOIR

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 256, 26 July 1937, Page 5

COSSACK CHOIR

Founded at College The Don Cossack Choir, under the direction of Mr. N. Kostrukoff, commences its Wellington season nt the Grand Opera llousj: on Saturday. July 31. The choir is in the course of a world tour and has scored great successes wherever it has appeared. Three years ago it visited Palestine. After touring New Zealand and Australia it will visit Java, India, Malaya nnd Egypt. These 30 Russian singers possess. ' robust, virile voices peculiar to their people. Their programmes reflect the light and shade of every phase of Russian folk life, mid embrace exquisite ballads, vigorous battle songs, soothing lullabies., and sacred chants. It was while Mr. Kostrukoff was studying at an engineering school in Prague in 1922 that his future vocation began to make itself evident. Always at heart, a music-lover, his strong personality pres'>xtly attracted others of the same tastes, and it was not long before he found himself conducting a choir of voices among his fellow-students. His enthusiasm and hard work, coupled with the loyal co-operation of his associates, eventually brought success. An invitation to give a scries of professional concerts in the neighbouring towns was the choir's first, opportunity, and so great was its success that eventually it became necessary for the singing students and their young leader to consider seriously what they were to make of their future careers. A brilliant concert at Vienna in 1926 finally decided the issue. Thereafter there was no room for d.oubt. The official founding of the choir took place that year under the patronage of the President of the Czechoslovakian Republic, Al. Masaryk, and of M. Benes, now his successor. Since then the students have travelled through all the countries of the world.