The Department of History invited Ukrainian ethnomusicologist and composer Olga Zaitseva-Herz to campus last weekend to perform the premiere of “Composing the Peace,” her follow-up to the critically-acclaimed “Bakhmut Rhapsody.”
The performance at the Moody Music Building was cancelled due to a scheduling conflict, but Zaitseva-Herz performed covers of rock songs along with Ukrainian folk ballads with The 603 Band — the Department of History’s in-house rock band — at Druid City Brewing Company on March 28.
“I’m hoping to end ‘Bakhmut Rhapsody’ on a note of hope, of a peace that will eventually come,” Zaitseva-Herz said. “The fact that this performance was cancelled is very ironic, because this is exactly how it feels with the peace that isn’t coming to Ukraine.”
Zaitseva-Herz and The 603s played covers of classic rock songs, including Blue Oyster Cult’s “Burnin’ for You,” Mountain’s “Mississippi Queen,” and The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army.” Zaitseva-Herz also sang a Ukrainian ballad named “Ой у вишневому саду.”
A majority of the audience was history professors and graduate students, all jamming out to the music.
“Composing the Peace” was based on interviews with people impacted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and what peace means to them.
“I spoke with different people. I wanted to reflect how they felt, and some of their expectations and worries,” Zaitseva-Herz said. “I want to give the performer some opportunity to experience the peace and the way they understand it.”
Zaitseva-Herz spoke earlier last Thursday in ten Hoor Hall alongside professor of Slavic history Margaret Peacock about the impact of music serving Russian propaganda interests throughout the war.
“The 603s invited me out to perform, and I’m very honored by that,” Zaitseva-Herz said. “We have similar things to talk about, because my work combines interdisciplinary perspectives.”
