Oy Vershe Miy, Vershe

"Oy Vershe Miy, Vershe" — a Lemko folk song. It is one of the most popular Lemko songs, holding a special place among the most performed Ukrainian songs.
The song belongs to the category of family and wedding songs. It narrates the tale of a young woman who falls in love and marries a man. However, she feels a sense of longing, anticipating that life in a new home and marriage will not be as comforting as it was with her mother.
Following the expulsion of the Lemko people from their historical homeland as a result of the so-called "freewill" deportation from Poland to the USSR and the ethnic cleansing of "Operation Vistula", the song "Vershe Miy, Vershe" became a symbol of the people's yearning for their lost homeland. For many Lemkos, the victory of Crimean Tatar singer Jamala with this song at the "New Wave" competition held a particular significance.

Recording and performance history

Early history

The first known printed mention of the song appears in the collection "Hungarian-Russian folk songs: with an essay on the life of Hungarian Russians and an ethnographic map of Hungary", published by in 1885. The collection included the following text of the song:

In Ivan Verkhratskyi's monograph "On the Dialect of Galician Lemkos", several variants of this song are presented.
The first audio recording of the song was made by on a wax phonograph cylinder in 1912.
The recording was made in Lemkivshchyna in the village of Ropica Gоrna, now Gorlice County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland. Phono cylinder No. 445, lasting 2 minutes 35 seconds, contained four songs: "Eey Bozhe Bozhe Nych Ne Mame", "Eey Yak ot Tale Pidu", "A Vershe Miy Vershe", and "Nasha Khata Bilena". On this recording, the song "A Vershe Miy Vershe" had two verses and was in a rather lively tempo.
In 1928, a 78 rpm record was released in New York City on the Columbia label, containing two Lemko songs. On the first side – "Za Horamy, za Lisamy", and on the second – "Oi Versze, Myi Vershe" performed by a duet of New York Cathedral Choir members Anna Dran and Joanna Karlyak with orchestral accompaniment. In fact, almost all subsequent solo performances of the song used the same words. However, there is a significant diversity in both the text and the melody and rhythm in folklore and musical notations.
The first sheet music of the song was published by Klyment Kvitka in 1922. The recording was made by him in 1918 in a shelter for refugees in Kyiv from a 35-year-old woman from Lemkivshchyna from the village of Pielgrzymka Jasło County, who refused to give her name.
A choral arrangement for mixed voices was created by Michael Hayvoronsky in the collection "Ukrainian Folk Songs of Lemkivshchyna and Zakarpattya", published in the 1930s The song was recorded from P. Kovalchuk from near Gorlice. Hayvoronsky used a dialogue-style arrangement between the women's and men's choral groups, in accordance with the content of the lyrics. This arrangement was included in the collection of choral arrangements of Lemko songs "Spivanochky Moyi" compiled by in 1968 A collection called "Homin Verkhovyny" was also published in Ukraine by in 1962. It included 12 arrangements of Lemko songs for a 4-part unaccompanied choir, including "Oy Chorna Hora, Chorna", "Oy Vershe Miy, Vershe", and "Hayem Zelenеnkym". A version of the song in the Pannonian Rusyn language, is also known, recorded in Kucura in 1930. The lyrics were recorded by Onufry Tymko, under the pseudonym Ton, and J. Shandor composed an original melody for it. In addition to expressing sadness for the loss of her home, the girl also laments that her beloved is avoiding her:

It is interesting that a similar plot is also found in several versions of this song recorded in Lemkivshchyna, particularly by Michael Hayvoronsky and Orest Hyzha:

Modern times

The song, with its most widely known authentic text today, is included in the collection "Lemko Songs" compiled and edited by Mykhailo Sobolevsky. Mykhailo Sobolevsky was born in 1886 in the village of Kostarowce, Sanok County, now Poland. Before World War I, he worked as a conductor of a church choir. From then on, he began collecting and recording Lemko folk songs. After the expulsion of the Lemkos from their ethnic lands, Sobolevsky lived in Ukraine. Upon his retirement in 1959, he decided to process and publish the songs he had collected. It is believed that the song "Oy Vershe Miy, Vershe" was recorded by him in his native village of Kostarowce. Following the publication of the collection, the song became the signature piece of the "Cheremosh" song and dance ensemble of Ivan Franko National University of Lviv.
The song gained its widest popularity after being performed by Kvitka Cisyk in a modern arrangement. After that, it was included in the repertoire of many Ukrainian performers and is often performed at various song festivals and competitions. In particular, Jamala won first place in the "New Wave" competition, and won the first prize of the with this song. Eight-year-old Ukrainian girl Maria Volovod Christodoulidou won with it at the international children's talent competition "Eurokids".
The song "Oy Vershe Miy, Vershe" is one of the most popular on singing TV shows, including "X-Factor" and "Holos Krainy". Numerous artists have performed the song, including, Tonya Matvienko, the band, Dmytro Babak, Yulia Plaksina, Tetiana Shirko, Anna Kuksa, and many others. In the superfinal of "Holos Krainy 7", Anna Kuksa, accompanied by the "Kiev Tango Project" ensemble, performed "Oy Vershe" in a tango arrangement. The folk song "Oy Vershe Miy, Vershe" by, was selected for a commercial promoting "Lvivske Zhyve" beer. A video featuring this version of the song was released in late 2010. Director incorporated the song "Oy Vershe Miy, Vershe" performed by The Telnyuk Sisters as a lyrical theme for the play "Stolen Happiness" at the Maria Zankovetska National Academic Theater of Lviv. The song is also featured in the plays "Mystery of Being" based on a play by and "Elegy Styx" directed by Oleksandr Korol at the and the, respectively. The song is included in the musical "Kvitka" by the Konstantin Pinchuk "Classikal Grand Ballet" theater.

Other known performers

The song is widely known in choral arrangements by: Michael Hayvoronsky,,,, Yaroslav Yaroslavenko,. Has been part of the repertoire of Zakarpattian Folk Choir, "Beskyd" Lemko Choral Chapel, "Lemkovyna" People's Choral Chapel of the village of Rudno, "Dudaryk" Choral Chapel, "Yevshan" Halych Chamber Choir,,,,.

Recordings

Year	Performers	Title	Location	Details / Notes
1912	Various Artists	"Ей Боже Боже нич не маме", "Ей як от тале піду", "А верше мій верше", "Наша хата білена"	Ropica Górna, Poland	Phono cylinder record No. 445 from phonographic collection of Reissued on CD in 2011
1928	Anna Dran , Joanna Karliak	За горами, за лісами / Ой верше, мій верше	New York City, US	Victor Hladyk Track:"Ой верше, мій верше" Label: Columbia / 20282-F
1956		Ukrainian Songs	USA	Orchestra directed by Jacques Belasco Track B3: "Oy, Vershe Miy, Vershe" Label: Urania Records – US 5137'
1956		Червоні маки / Ой верше, мій верше	UkrSSR	Track B: "Ой, Верше Мiй, Верше" Label: Factory of Household Appliances of Zhytomyr 78 rpm record, 27602-03
1960		Melodies Of Ukraine	Canada	Piano accompaniment by Jeannine Lacour Track B2: "O, My Mountain Top" Label: London MLP 10037
1960		Українські пісні	Lviv, UkrSSR	Track 3: "Oi vershe mi, vershe" Label: Melodiya – D 6499–6500
1965		Ой верше мій, верше	New York, USA	Piano accompaniment by Kalyna Chichka-Andriyenko. Recorded at a concert for Ukrainian composers in exile.
1965	O. Nikolishyna, R. Korobkina, N. Fomenko, M. Bayko	Ой верше мій, верше	UkrSSR	Arranged by Central State Film, Photo and Phonoarchives of Ukraine
1970	Kvitka Cisyk	Ivanku and Other Favorite Songs of Young Ukrainians	New York, USA	Track A5: "My High Mountain" Label: Midney – P-0102
1986	"Lemkovyna" Ensemble	Співає «Лемковина»	UkrSSR	Track B1: "Ой Верше Мій, Верше" Arranged by Yaroslav Yaroslavenko Label: Melodiya C30 23677 005
1989	Kvitka Cisyk	Two Colors	USA & Canada	Track 10: "Верше, мій верше" Label: KMC Records – KMC 1002 CD
1998		Цне мі ся за тобов	Poland	Track 29: "Oj, Wersze Mij, Wersze" Solo: Piotr Hojniak, Michal Olesniewicz CD
2000		Там на Лемковині	Poland	Track 7: "Ой Верше Мій Верше" Label: Towarzystwo Karpackie'
2002	Svitlana Damyduk and"Budmo!" Ensemble	Гей, музики, довше грайте	Ukraine	Track 4: "Верше" Label: Taki Sparavy – CDND 0616/02
2004	Anytchka	Силою любові...	Ukraine	Track B2: "Ой верше, мій верше" Label: Alfa-Omega '
2005	"Yevshan" Hutsul Chamber Choir	Фольклорна скриня	Ukraine	Track 3: "Ой, Верше Мій, Верше" Label: Same Tak!'
2007	"Rushnychok"Ensemble	Сусідка	Ukraine	Track 6: "Ой Верше, Мій Верше" Label: Origen Music
2008		Гудаки не люди	Ukraine	Track 9: "Vershe" CD'
2008	Dudaryk Nazavzhdy	Мамине серце	Ukraine	Track 13: "Ой, верше ж мій, верше" Label: Nash Format
2008	Tafubar	Changeability	Germany	Track 1: "Mij Vershe" Label: Lemongrassmusic
2010	"Soli Deo"	Співає	Ukraine	Track 15: "Oy Vershe Miy, Vershe" Label: Nash Format CD'
2010		Вільна	Ukraine	Track 15: "Ой верше мій, верше" Label: Rostok Records'
2011	Jamala	For Every Heart	Ukraine	Bonus Track 15: "Верше, Мій Верше" Label: Moon Records – MR 5117-2 CD'
2014		Вигнані з Раю / лемківські пісні	Ukraine	Track 14: "Ой, Верше мій, Верше" Label: Kosmata design
2014		Душа українського народу	Ukraine	Track 4: "Ой верше мій верше" Label: V Studio'
2014		Солодко-гіркий романс	Ukraine	Bonus track 19: "Ой верше мій, верше" Label: Nash Format, МА'
2017		Rosna	Poland	Track 1: "Oj Wersze, Mij Wersze" Label: SL 785-2D

Films

Documentary film "Oy Vershe Miy, Vershe" ''.'' Director, 1984.

Song on SoundCloud

Books

Michael Hayvoronsky "Ukrainian folk songs of Lemkovshchyna and Zakarpattya: mixed chorus ". New York; Lviv: n.p. p. 11.
. "My little songs. Choral arrangements of Lemko folk songs". Kyiv:. p. 112.
. "Echo of the Highlands: Hutsul, Lemko, Boyko, and Transcarpathian folk songs arranged for mixed and women's choirs". Lviv: Book and Magazine Publishing House.
"Ukrainian folk songs from Lemkovshchyna" / Collected by Orest Hyzha. General ed., preface.. Gorlice. – P. 171.
Onufry Tymko. "Our song. Collection of folk and popular songs of the Yugoslav Rusyns". Ruski Kerestur.
"Lemko folk songs" – Cleveland: Tipografia Lemko-Soyuza.
"Lemko songs" Collected and edited by Mykhailo Sobolevsky. Kyiv: Muzychna Ukraina. – 320 p.
Orest Hyzha "Ukrainian folk songs from Lemkovshchyna". Kyiv: Muzychna Ukraina.- 404 p.