CHORAL HARVEST— is a collection of Ukrainian choral favourites performed for you by AKORD—the Ukrainian Men's Choir of Ottawa. Choosing musical pieces from the fields, steppes and mountainous Carpathian regions of Ukraine and bringing them to audiences across Canada is the passion of this male choir. The songs collected here range from spiritual and historical evocations of Ukraine’s heroic Cossack past, through poems by the iconic Taras Shevchenko set to music, to the light-hearted kolomyika dance rhythms of the Carpathians. Indeed, this collection reflects the very ethos of AKORD, which symbolizes both the richness of Ukrainian choral tradition and the melodious quality of the choir. Choral Harvest features four works by the twentieth-century Ukrainian composer Yevhen Kozak, who was a formative influence on AKORD’s conductor, L'viv Conservatory graduate Olya Katrushenko. This is AKORD’s second compact disc, following the Choir's successful debut “Three Feasts of Christmas” in 2006. The Choir’s active annual program includes traditional concerts, celebrations of religious occasions and a variety of music festivals. In a notable special event, Canada’s Governor-General invited AKORD to entertain the President of Ukraine at a state dinner in 2008. Tying together a capella harmonies in four parts, the men of AKORD hope that you will enjoy this sheaf of songs as much as we enjoyed preparing it for your listening pleasure.