Five Portland Choirs Join Forces for Voices for Ukraine Benefit Concert

180 singers will converge at First United Methodist Church.

Portland State University Chamber Choir (PSU)
By Bennett Campbell Ferguson

Yet another Portland arts organization has found a way to help with the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.

On May 1, five choirs will convene at First United Methodist Church in Goose Hollow for a benefit concert called Voices for Ukraine. A total of 180 singers will join forces for the concert, which is a fundraiser for Mercy Corps’ emergency response in Ukraine.

The choirs will perform some of Ukraine’s greatest choral compositions, including the Ukrainian national anthem and Mikola Lysenko’s “Prayer for Ukraine.” The concert will conclude with “Da Pacem Domine (Give Peace, O Lord)” by the Estonian composer Arvo Pärt, whose name is catnip in elite choral circles.

Voices for Ukraine will feature a mixture of community, professional and student choirs. The participating groups are the Portland Symphonic Choir, Cappella Romana, Oregon Repertory Singers, Portland State University Chamber Choir and Grant High School’s A Cappella Choir.

Tickets are available on a sliding scale from $40 to $500, with the net proceeds going to Mercy Corps. You can purchase tickets at voicesforukraine.org.

Related: Portlanders Are Showing Their Support for Ukraine and Raising Money

Willamette Week’s reporting has concrete impacts that change laws, force action from civic leaders, and drive compromised politicians from public office. Support WW's journalism today.