Back to All Events

Open Mic Night for Ukraine


  • Timmy's Bar 93 Victoria Road SN1 3BD (map)

Join us for a night of live music at one of Old Town’s most loved venues, Timmy’s bar.

Marilyn, who runs Timmy’s bar, is also a host with the Homes for Ukraine scheme and is putting on this second music event to showcase some amazing local vocalists, and some from Ukraine.

The event will start at 7pm and feature Ukrainian vocalist Sofiia Volovyk who has a career involved in music and singing in Ukraine.

Sofiia Volovyk, who arrived in Swindon this spring from Ukraine, will take part in the open mic. Having an unusual relationship with folk music and festival spirit, she began her unexpected musical journey in 2016, joining a klezmer band performing Jewish folk motifs. Having visited Georgia, Moldova, Belarus, Russia and the United States with performances, upon returning to Ukraine she was carried away by the power of national Ukrainian music and ethnic sound.

Becoming a participant in various Ukrainian music festivals, Sofia met and studied Ukrainian folk songs, sound traditions and adopt folk songs to such musical instruments as didgeridoo, singing bowls, jew's harps, darbuka, gongs, bells, electronic accompaniment, sarangi, handpan drum, tabret. Knowing various reggae, blues, classical musicians, she repeatedly took part in various musical and creative projects, including poetry reading. Acquiring a special approach to the voice and meaning of singing through her teachers Ukrainian performers Katya Chilly, Nadia Alunova, Evgeny Kalmykov (founder of the harp club of Ukraine), Sofiia considers the song and the voice of a person to be an important tool for conveying states of consciousness.

At this open mic evening will be less about her music background, but more about experimenting to transform different folk sounds and instruments to a meaningful simplicity of cooperation between British guitar musician and Sofiia, who will perform her native songs created by Ukrainian land.

Entry is free but donations on the night will go to the Swindon Welcomes Ukraine fund, aimed at supporting our growing Ukrainian community in Swindon.

Timmy’s bar, 93 Victoria Road, Swindon SN1 3BD

Previous
Previous
5 July

The Table

Next
Next
10 July

Guided Ride around Swindon