A Ukrainian composer has transformed an unexploded Russian missile that fell onto his homeland into a musical instrument that emits a haunting, metallic, and funereal sound. Roman Hryhoriv, a celebrated composer in Ukraine, had its explosive contents removed and replaced with cello strings. The creation of the instrument, called “Hell’s Arrow Voice,” and the accompanying song “Song of the Unborn,” delivers a pitch-perfect message of hope and defiance.
“This isn’t just an instrument to me,” Hryhoriv explains. “It transcends music and the idea of a concert. This instrument symbolizes the horror experienced by the Ukrainian people. No other instrument can come close to its power and outpouring of pain. The stories woven into its creation and our shared struggles make it truly extraordinary.”
The composer played the instrument for the first time in the United Kingdom at an Oxbridge Foundation gala dinner supporting Ukraine’s young students. Hryhoriv performed in October alongside the Kyiv Camerata orchestra, led by artistic director Bogdana Pivnenko and Keri-Lynn Wilson, the music director. The gala’s goal was to raise funds for Ukraine and to help young Ukrainians gain access to education in the United Kingdom and the United States.
Hryhoriv hopes to display the instrument in a future museum as a symbol that Ukraine has overcome its brutal history and is a strong nation. “This is not just a performance for the sake of creating art,” said Hryhoriv. It is using an artefact of war to bring some good to my country, to help raise funds for Ukraine, and to advance educational opportunities for young Ukrainians.”
Helen Clarke, co-founder of the Oxbridge Foundation, stated that the event delivered on their vision to raise awareness of the atrocities that Ukraine has faced and that creating more educational opportunities for Ukrainian youth is essential. She hopes that the foundation’s efforts will aid in rebuilding the nation
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