A Concert for Ukraine

On Saturday, May 21 at 7:00 PM, Saint James Church Lake Delaware will present a free benefit concert to support Ukrainian citizens and refugees. The Gerry Family is generously underwriting the costs of the concert, so 100% of all donations received will assist displaced Ukrainians.

The evening's program, titled 'War and Peace', includes a mix of composers, nationalities and styles. The first segment, WAR, will begin with the Ukrainian national anthem. The second segment, TRAGEDY OF WAR, features music evoking various levels of tragedy, loss and despair. The final segment, PEACE, takes listeners through music expressing peace as a challenging and worthy endeavor. 

Like many Americans, the people of Saint James Church have been deeply concerned for the people of Ukraine. While we have been praying for them, this concert is a way to put our faith to action. We hope that the event, however non-religious, will give the greater Delaware County community the same opportunity... the chance to 'do something' to show support for people just like us, across oceans, experiencing tremendous suffering.

Saint James' rector, Fr. Paul Moore II, is also CEO of CitiHope Relief & Development, an international relief organization which has delivered over $1.4 billion in medical and food relief around the world. Last week CitiHope shipped its first 49 pallets of medicine and medical supplies to St. Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral via UPS Air Freight, valued at $2.8 million. This partnership will support the Ukrainian people impacted by the Russian war on Ukraine and bolster Ukraine’s health care infrastructure by providing critically needed medicine and medical supplies. CitiHope is staging another $3.5 million in relief for Ukraine in the coming weeks, made possible in part thanks to the support of Saint James Church and the Delaware County, NY community. 

The performance features pianist and organist Sarah Hitchcock playing on our M.P. Möller Opus 7553 organ. Hailing from the Finger Lakes region, Sarah studied music at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana, and L’Ecole Normale de Musique in Paris. She has played for numerous churches in the Hudson Valley, along with accompanying operas, musicals, concerts, and competitions. Sarah has also taught students of all ages privately, and in schools from kindergarten through college. Sarah is delighted to share the moment with her outstanding colleague, trumpet virtuoso Aleksandar Vitanov.

Aleksandar Vitanov is a sophomore international student from North Macedonia at Bard College studying Political Studies and Trumpet Performance at the Bard Conservatory of Music. He came to Bard after spending his junior and senior years of high school at the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan. Previously, Aleksandar attended Ilija Nikolovski - LUJ in Skopje, North Macedonia for his first two years of high school. He was offered a full scholarship to go to study in Michigan and he moved there alone when he was 17 years old. Aleksandar has had many accomplishments in music including high prizes on regional, national, and international competitions, has appeared on NPR’s From The Top, and has played with many ensembles all around the world including appearing as a soloist with the Macedonian Philharmonic Orchestra when he was 16. He is on Bard’s Student Honor List, founded a Trustee Leader Scholar initiative called Musical Mentorship Initiative which provides free music education to families that cannot afford it, serves on Bard’s Student Government as the chair of the Pier Review Board, he is the Co-Chair of the Constitutional Court at Bard, and is the founder of the Alexander Hamilton Society Bard College Chapter. 

Seating for this free event is open to the public on a first-come basis. A reception will be held in the Parish Hall after the concert where guests can meet the artists.