A Cappella Singing

Learn by ear or notes. Music from many cultures. Rhythm & movement. Fun vocal warmups. Harmony. Improvisation. Explore vocal range and tones.

Thursday, June 26, 2025

The Spooky Men's Chorale sing a Ukranian Folk Song.

The Spooky Men's Chorale sing Ukranian Folk song, Plyve Kacha 


 

Stephen Tabener is the conductor of the Spooky Men's Chorale from Melbourne. 

This Ukranian folk song was recorded in  New South Wales in 2022. It became widely associated with mourning the massacre at Maidan in the Crimea in 2014. It speaks of a duckling but also asks where a mother will bury her son if he dies in a faraway land.

This is the translation: 

Oh, duckling floats on Tisyna ,Duckling floats on Tisyna. 

My mother, don't swear me, My mother, don't swear me. 

 Oh, if you will swear me at dark hour, If you will swear me at dark hour.

 I don't know where I'll die, I don't know where I'll die. 

 Oh, I'll die on foreign lands I will die on foreign lands.

 Who will prepare a grave for me? Who will prepare a grave for me? 

 Oh, another people will prepare, Strangers will prepare.

 Won't you regret, mother? Won't you regret, mother? 

 Oh, my son, how could I not regret? My son, how could I not regret? 

You were laying on my heart, You were laying on my heart. 

 

The source of our arrangement of the song is here:    • Folk Song - Kacha (Pikkardijska Tercija)   and the full translation of lyrics follows.