The bandura is a traditional folk instrument of unique importance, embodying the history and spirit of Ukraine. Its 65 strings produce a wide range of delicate, distinctive tones. Familiarity with the instrument spread especially quickly after the 16th century, when Cossacks played an earlier form of the bandura when they sang about historical events and everyday life. This tradition is upheld by Kateryna, a bandura player based in Japan. In this program she expresses her feelings about what's happening in Ukraine and offers a prayer for her homeland in the form of song.