"A project like this keeps hope high"

Roman Melish performed with his fellow musicians at the festival last year. Song Basel performed. This also supports him in his German-Ukrainian song recitals (Red. the SMZ has reported on this). He is currently planning several concerts in Kyiv to mark the anniversary of the Russian invasion.

 How are you doing?

I am still alive. I have a roof over my head, my family and my close friends are alive - that's the most important thing. I often heard Russian drones and missiles at night and sat in the stairwell with my personal documents in case the house was hit. That's what happened to Ivanna Plish, who was a soprano at the recitals. On June 24, 2023, the building where she lived with her family was destroyed. Now she is forced to rent an apartment. I also completely lost my voice in August.

How did that happen?

It happened on the way back from Utrecht, where I had sung at an early music festival. I don't know exactly why the consequences were so drastic. It was probably the general exhaustion after so many months of war. You can never really recover. Of course we all had to get used to the war, but at some point the body goes on strike due to the constant stress. Many of my friends also fell ill.

 What was it like for you as a singer to no longer be able to sing?

You've lost everything you've worked for all your life. At first I felt that I myself was lost. I also don't know whether my voice will come back the way it was. First of all, in consultation with my doctor, I try to sing in a tenor range - and take small steps. If it works well, then I can try again later as a countertenor. The first few weeks were hard when I wasn't allowed to speak either. Especially when I was with friends. I couldn't share my feelings. That was very difficult. On the other hand, during this quiet time, I listened more and observed more - people on the street or trees in the wind. I paid attention to things that I normally never pay attention to.

What role does music play in Ukraine?

Sometimes I feel no hope. Music is good, but our soldiers need more weapons. And they also need other soldiers to replace them. There are soldiers who have been at war for 18 months or more without interruption. Since Russia occupied Crimea and parts of eastern Ukraine in 2014, we have been in a constant state of war. Those who come home need help. They need to be resocialized. Music can help with this so that they can develop normal feelings again. Taras Stoliar, who fought at the front and accompanied our song recitals on the bandura, is now involved in looking after the troops and plays Metallica songs such as Nothing Else Matters for the frontline soldiers. That helps enormously with morale. It's also a way of showing them appreciation. At my last concert, I sang for mothers whose sons had died in the war. The mother of a distinguished pilot was crying for her son. But through the music she felt that she was not alone in her grief. We never forget that your son died so that we may still live.

There are no signs that the war will end soon. February 24 marks the second anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Are you disillusioned?

Of course I believed that the war would end sooner. But it's no use thinking about it - I can't influence it. I have to do something. I can donate, I can also share the truth with friends abroad to raise awareness. And thank the army for what they do for us. I'm also afraid of having to go to the front myself. But we need people there. Our enemy Russia has more people. For Putin, human lives are not important. In Ukraine, every single life counts. I believe we will win - I just don't know how long it will take. And how many more people will have to die. It's actually a miracle that we've been resisting for so long. We have a strong army. Above all, however, we have strong morale and a great sense of togetherness.

Now you are planning a few concerts to mark the anniversary of the Russian invasion. On March 1, 3 and 7 in Kyiv. What is it like for you to prepare these concerts?

It's nice to prepare something, even if we never know what tomorrow will bring. Will we still be alive? I don't know, but we have to look ahead. We will give three concerts in Kyiv with vocal quartets by Johannes Brahms and the Swiss composer Hans Huber, which we will combine with works by Ukrainian composers. We will organize all of this. And hope that it can take place. We also don't know whether we will have electricity and be healthy. But the concerts would be important for us - and of course for our audience.

How important are these concerts and the support of Lied Basel for you?

That means a lot to me. One of Russia's goals is to make Ukrainians feel alone. The Russians want to break our morale by attacking the civilian population. The attention and support from Basel helps us not to feel alone. Of course, we sometimes feel completely exhausted and hopeless. But a project like this keeps hope high. We can also draw on our concert in Basel on April 21, 2023 for a long time to come. That was a light in the darkness. And we still need this light to be able to pass it on to others.

Red. The interview was conducted online at the end of November 2023. The March concerts will feature Ivanna Plish, soprano, and Roman Melish, tenor, among others. Further information on the concerts can be found on the website of Song Basel.