A National Ukrainian Choir, brought together by local development companies across Ireland, has released a new version of Phil Coulter’s single, ‘Steal Away’, in collaboration with the singer. The choir is made up of 40 people including singer Ruslan Veliev from Killenaule, county Tipperary who fled Ukraine as a result of the war.
The single, translated into Ukrainian, was launched at a special event in Saint Stephen’s Church, Dublin, this week where the choir performed the new single with Phil Coulter.
The song, originally written by Phil Coulter 40 years ago, tells the story of a couple who escape from the Troubles and Mr Coulter says there are many parallels with the current situation facing Ukrainians today. The song will be available for download via Spotify, and the road to the launch forms the subject of a documentary due to be released in coming months.
Speaking about the launch of Steal Away, Isabel Cambie, CEO of South Tipperary Development Company says “We are thrilled to be a part of this important project. There is nothing more rewarding than assisting others in achieving their aspirations.”
The choir director, Yulia Boyko, is originally from Ukraine and has been living in Co. Cavan for the last twenty years. Yulia now runs her own music school and was responsible for translating ‘Steal Away’ into Ukrainian. Ms. Boyko, Phil Coulter and the 40-strong choir have worked together since April, resulting in the translated version being recorded.
