The Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate is hosting Ukrainian organist Dariia Lytvishko at the end of October to support Ukraine.
On Oct. 30 at 7:30 p.m. at 28 Norfolk St. Lytvishko will play the organ. Tickets can be purchased for $20 at the door or in advance at the parish office.
Lytvishko organized LET THERE BE PEACE, a benefit concert where all proceeds go to humanitarian efforts in Ukraine.
“She’s pretty fantastic,” said Joe Carere, music director at Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate.
Guelph is the last stop of the nine Ontario cities. The benefit concert was previously performed in Europe.
It is the first time the organist has come to Canada, said Carere.
It would “be nice just to have a nice showing of people here for her to welcome her,” he said.
Guelph isn’t big, not like Toronto but we’re trying to drum up whatever we can to help people in Ukraine, said Carere.
He is hoping to have at least 150 people in attendance if not more. One of the biggest successes will come when people who may have never been to the church before come in and listen to the organ music, he said.
The concert is one of many things the church can do to help support various causes, he said.
“And like I say we're just trying to do our little part. And we've always been on board with Ukrainian effort to try and get supplies together. So just another way we can try and step it up for them,” Carere said.
“On top of what we've already been doing here we've already sent a few loads of clothes over on a plane and things like that to help out,” said Carere.
A lot of the attention seems to have come off Ukraine, he said. “There’s still tragedy going on over there as well.”
“But we're just trying to do what we can,” Carere said.
The church is going to have the Ukrainian flag and the colours of the flag to show that there is solidarity behind them, Carere said.
