Figure 1.--Here is Sasha in the Junior Choir uniform. He is singing a solo part with the older choristers. This show what a beautiful voice he had. It was quite an honor to sing with the older group.

A HBC reader tells us, "The site is in Russian but that will come as no surprise because your page said it was. The fun came in reading the pages. I know alittle Russian but it improves all the time. I read several interesting sections. One was about the soloists. Their were photographs here of the choir members. Some were in greater detail than others. One boy had quite an interesting story. This was also a well documented photographic record. I read on and then the words got too hard for me to understand. A few friends helped me fill in the parts I did not understand. From the account I read and had explained to me I have been able to put the following biography together for a boy choir member named Alexander Fedorko. For the first time I was able to see a story that showed the fashions a boy wore on stage as well as at home or at leisure. I think this Choir website is a very useful web site because it so well documented.

Alexander

The boy who grew up to love singing was named Alexander at his naming ceremony in 1979. Until he came of age he would be known to the world as Sasha Fedorko. Fortunately there is a complete photographic record of him from babyhood to manhood. It is contained in the archives of the Big Children?s Choir of Moscow TV and Radio. In his first image he is with his mother. He is in his pram and his mother is pushing him along the street. This is a symbolic picture as events would soon show. She was photographed as she passed a news-board telling about a musical concert.

Alexander Loves Music

Gypsy Singers

Alexander's parents first began to fully understand just how great Alexander's love of singing was in the summer of 1985. They had gone to the railway station to say goodbye to relatives who were returning home after their visit. No-one noticed the gypsy singers on the platform but Sasha did. He was drawn to their singing. He went over to listen to the singers. His parents only realised that he was not with them when they heard his singing.

Figure 2.--This is Sasha and the other choristers in one of their performances of folk music for which of course they wear Russia folk costumes.

The Big Choir

This became a regular activity when he was out with his parents. It was decided to find a music group that Sasha could join. They heard a radio announcement about the Moscow Children?s Choir. They had vacancies for children. Sasha parents made contact and the boy became He a member in 1985. Sasha was then 6 years old. He remained a choir member for a long time.

The Big Choir archive photographs show Sasha progressing through the choir. These show the boy in a variety of singing situations. There are photographs of him at rehearsals as well as those taken when he sang solo pieces at the concerts. Other pictures show him with his friends in their leisure time.

There are three age groups that make up the choir and sash?s photographic record shows him progressing through these groups. In the starters group several photographs show him wearing his choir uniform of a short trousered checked suit. The Choir director and staff were very impressed with Sasha's voice. He not only sang solos with the Junior Choir, but also appeared with the older cgroups--quite a honor for one of the junior boys. To Sasha's delight, the Choir has an impressive repotoire of Russian folk music. Several photographs show him wearing a colourful Russian folk costume for some of his singing roles. One a photograph shows him wearing formal dress. When he appeared on the radio he was dressed casually clothes for singing and talk programmes. Rehearsal photographs show him casually dressed in long grey corduroy trousers and t-shirt. He also wears a snake belt and his footwear is canvas shoes. His leisure wear is also a combination of casual clothes.

Sasha toured with the choir. Photographs show him in Japan and Germany. He is dressed in very western clothes and wears a variety of costumes in the choir. His voice broke while he was on tour in Japan with the choir. This was in 1993. He left the choir for a while to study at the Institute of Culture.

Figure 3.--Music was also an important part of Shasa's leisure activities. Here he is with some of his friends in 1993 giving a good indication of leisure clothes in Russia.

Leisure Interests

Music was also an important part of Shasa's leisure activities. Besides singing, Shasa learned to play the violin and loved playing. The photographs show his leisure interests. He is seen playing board games with his friends and music making. He is pictured playing the violin.

Adult

He is now an adult and he is a radio and television producer. His links with the choir have not ended for he produces the Choir's television programmes. He is also hoping to follow a career in popular music. He is a solo performer in which he has written his own songs. These he performs. The future looks bright for this talented young music man.

William E. Fergusson