Finally, the residents of Leiden and surrounding areas can enjoy the beautiful singing of the Alphens Cossack Choir. After their many performances at home and abroad, the Cossacks come to the Hartebrugkerk in the Haarlemmerstraat in Leiden.

On Sunday afternoon, November 26, you can enjoy the beautiful Byzantine Orthodox songs sung a capella under the direction of conductor Arkadi Gankin. The varied program should of course include authentic Cossack songs from Ukraine and Georgia, among others.
The choir is accompanied by conductor Arkadi Gankin and Sheila Moens on the bajan. Natalya Shevchenko with her balalaika and Konstantin Sysoev on the balalaika double bass complete the accompaniment of the Alphens Cossack Choir. There will also be a guest appearance by soprano Yelena Guryeva.
The concert on Sunday afternoon, November 26, starts at 3 p.m. The church opens its doors at 2:30 PM.
The entrance fee is € 17.00, but in advance it costs € 15.00 by scanning the QR code or via the choir's website: www.alphenskozakenkoor.nl
Children up to 12 years stay free if accompanied by an adult.
You are invited!

Sunday afternoon, October 1, 2023, starting at 2:30 p.m

The Alphens Cossack Choir welcomed 2 members this season who will make an important contribution to the musical accompaniment of the choir.

Natalia Shevchenko graduated from the St. Petersburg Conservatory on the balalaika, and winner of several international and European music competitions. She has been living in the Netherlands for 6 years and teaches music and supports various professional and amateur bands.

Konstatin Sysoev passionately plays the balalaika double bass and has played in several bands until the year 2000. Now in the Netherlands he got the chance to play the double bass with the Alphens Cossack Choir.

Two musicians with whom conductor Arkadi Gankin and all members are very pleased. Surprising arrangements have already been developed and rehearsed that will pleasantly surprise the audience.

There will also be a guest performance in IJsselstein by soprano Yelena Guryeva. She received her training (singing, piano and choral conducting) at the music college of Petrpavlock in her native Kazakhstan. She has lived in the Netherlands since 2002 and has her own music practice in Gouda. She also gives a special color to the concert.

Sheila Moens has been faithfully playing with the choir on her bajan for years. She now feels even more strengthened by the pleasant interaction with the balalaikas.

The Sint Nicolaas Basilica in IJsselstein with its good acoustics and its special interior will certainly contribute to the fact that the Alphens Cossack Choir could not wish for a better location to give a concert in this new composition.

It is now possible to order your ticket(s) in advance for € 18.50

At the start of the concert, the entrance fee is €20.

On the blue button on the left you can buy the tickets directly (at € 18.50. (until 30-9-2023)

Who wouldn't want to experience it: celebrating your birthday during a concert by the Alphens Cossack Choir? That happened to 90-year-old Wim Scholte: flowers and a full church that sings to you.

 On Sunday afternoon, February 12, the Alphens Cossack choir entered the church singing. The audience was immediately captivated by this unexpected turnout. Then followed some beautiful orthodox chants. After the solo performance of bass Klaas Schulp with the moving “Gorie, gorie moja zwezda”, conductor Arkadi Gankin let his bajan, a button accordion, speak with the melancholic “Oblivion” by the Argentinian composer Astor Piazolla. Subsequently, the audience was presented with another first: “Rewe ta stognje”, a Ukrainian hymn to the mighty Dnieper River.

After the break, the Cossacks, with the support of Sheila Moens (bajan), Nathalya Shevcenko (balalaika) and Trudi Bos (flute), treated the audience mainly to romantic and cheerful songs until “Amurski wolnie”, a beautiful waltz about the great river the Volga, was on the agenda.

The birthday soloist Wim Scholte was announced by lady speaker Anneke van Leeuwen and after the end of the song he became the center of the celebration: showered with congratulations and flowers. The enthusiastic audience immediately started singing “Long live” and the choir closed this joyful event with “Mno gaja ljeta” (Long live).

With the rousing “Sjto tak skoetsjno” as an encore, the Alphens Cossack Choir bade farewell to the enthusiastic audience in the Meije.

After a period of cancellation of concerts due to Corona, the choir members, led by conductor Arkadi Gankin, have continued to work hard to include new songs in their repertoire. This also includes beautiful songs from Ukraine and Georgia.

The opening of the concert season on October 16 in the beautiful Oude Kerk in Zoetermeer resulted in a standing ovation from an enthusiastic audience. A welcome boost to start with.

The Alphens Cossack Choir was invited by MOORDRECH KLASSIIEK to give a concert in the village church of Moordrecht.

In its 15-year existence, the Alphens Cossack Choir has many performances at home and abroad to their credit. Under the direction of conductor Arkady Gankin, they perform Orthodox-Byzantine songs, but also traditional folk songs from Ukraine and Georgia and, of course, cheerful and romantic Cossacks. In the village church of Moordrecht with its magnificent acoustics, the melancholy and romantic, but also the exciting sounds of the Alphens Cossack choir sounded wonderful.

The choir was accompanied by conductor Arkadi Gankin on his bajan, supported by Sheila Moens, also on the bajan, Nathalya Shevcenko on the balalaika and Trudi Bos on the flute.

Klezmerband Nigun has been around for 12.5 years now. Nigun has included many cheerful Klezmer songs in the repertoire. In addition to Klezmer music, Nigun plays Yiddish and Hebrew songs and songs by Spanish-Portuguese (Sephardic) Jews.

Nigun also sometimes makes a trip to Balkan music.

The Alphens Cossack Choir has given a joint performance with Nigun several times and received praise from the audience, which was very surprised by the versatility of music styles.

For the opening of the new cultural season, the Friends of Urbanus have invited the Alphens Cossack Choir. A great choice!

On Sunday afternoon, March 5, the various Orthodox-Byzantine songs will undoubtedly come into their own in the magnificent acoustics of the St. Urbanus Church. In addition, the Alphens Cossack Choir also performs traditional folk songs from Ukraine and Georgia and, of course, cheerful and romantic Cossack songs.

In short: a very varied musical happening in a beautifully restored St. Urbanus.

With this benefit concert, the Alphens Cossack Choir hopes to contribute to the restoration of the St. Urbanus Church, which was hit by fire.

Alphens Cossack choir honored with invitation.

On Saturday, May 12, the municipality of Alphen aan den Rijn organized a meeting for Ukraine. While the audience came in, the Alphens Cossack Choir sang moody music and while mayor Liesbeth Spies went to hoist the flag together with the children's mayor Safae Ahannay, the Alphens Nataliya Kornyeyeva  and her Ukrainian mother.

In an impressive speech, the mayor indicated that she is very closely involved with the suffering of the Ukrainians. This Saturday, she had already had direct contacts with a mayor of the birthplace of Nataliya Kornyeyeva in Ukraine and with some refugees who will also be welcome in Alphen aan den Rijn.

It was nice to hear that the contribution of the choir was said to be impressive.

The Alphens Cossack Choir also feels involved in Ukraine and has organized pro bono meetings for Ukraine on a number of Wednesday evenings. Afterwards, a collection was held for the joint refugee aid.

This would also take place on Wednesday 16 March in the OLV Ascension Church in Nieuwkoop. We had to cancel it due to corona with a number of members. On March 26, 2022, the choir hopes to be able to perform in good health again at the concert in De Schutse in Uithoorn. There, too, it has been decided to transfer 50% of the ticket sales to giro 555. The choir hopes for sufficient interest to cover the costs itself.

The Alphens Cossack Choir has many plans for performances in and outside the region. During the Corona period, the choir members also rehearsed weekly under the inspiring leadership of conductor Arkadi Gankin. However, a number of members also died during that period. Our choir is in need of new members.

Do you enjoy singing in a group of enthusiastic men every week in a church hall with beautiful acoustics? During the rehearsal led by a conductor who is very knowledgeable in the field of Orthodox and Cossack songs, serious practice is given. During the evening there is also plenty of room for cheerful notes in between and during the break.

Even if you cannot speak foreign languages ​​or read musical notes, you are very welcome to come and listen with the opportunity to join our choir. We are also very happy with men who do have experience singing in a choir and/or can read music. On this website under 'Contact' and then 'Get Acquainted' you can register to get to know us.

Alphens Cossack Choir would like to let you know where they stand.

The Alphens Cossack Choir has been a romantic Cossack Choir since its foundation in 2007.
Our repertoire consists of romantic Cossack songs from times long gone.
In addition, we sing beautiful old Orthodox songs from the worship service.
The Alphens Cossack Choir is an enthusiastic choir of Dutch men who exclusively sing songs from the rich Slavic culture.
Beautiful melancholic music of the people.
We distance ourselves from everything that has to do with violence and war.
We just want you to experience that this music is also peaceful and only connects people.

Cossacks are back on the scene.

On Sunday afternoon, October 17, the Alphense Cossacks took another step on the ladder of concerts.
The Alphense Sint Bonifaciuskerk was the setting for this concert by the Alphense Cossacks. A beautiful church with unique acoustics. Too bad only 70 audience members witnessed conductor Arkadi Gankin's men. It is generally known that the theater and event world is still struggling with the (after) contractions of the Coronapandemic. The Corana check to attend a concert also does not help to reach the normal quota of audience.
Despite all the limitations, the choir pulled out all the stops to put on a beautiful concert, which resulted in listeners returning home satisfied.

(translated by Google)