The piece ‘Lullaby in Memory of the Children Who Died’

The composition ‘Lullaby in Memory of the Fallen Children’ is one of Mariia Yaremak’s most poignant original works, featured on the albums ‘Ukrainian Diaries’ and ‘Ukrainian Fantasy’. The piece is based on real tragic events at the start of the full-scale invasion, when children were dying in their parents’ arms, and was particularly inspired by the story of little Liza’s death in Vinnytsia.

According to the composer’s concept, the music unfolds as a dramatic narrative: in the first verse, the mother gently lulls her child to sleep, whilst in the second, the child drifts off into the world of dreams, only for an air-raid siren to sound and a fatal air strike to occur. Even after the loss, the mother continues to sing the lullaby, as if the singing itself were capable of holding on to the moment, preserving the child’s life and offering hope for the future. The piece’s musical palette is emotional: the sounds of the strings mimic sirens, whilst the final piano chords sound as though something has shattered.

The piece also exists in a vocal version, recorded in collaboration with the artist Izabella Ivashchenko. This interpretation was written specifically for performances in the UK and premiered at the Royal Gala Evening in April 2023. During live concerts as part of the ‘Ukrainian Fantasy’ project, particularly at the Garrison Church in Lviv, this composition created such a poignant atmosphere that the musicians found it difficult to play it through to the end due to their emotions. The piece serves as a space for collective reflection and processing the trauma of war, which is understood by the audience even without words.