Amazing US voices singing Georgian folk
Capitol Hill Chorale comes on tour to Georgia [VIDEO]
Some of Capitol Hill Chorale members photographed with Londa, their teacher of Georgian language (centre), ahead of their tour to the country. Photo: The Capitol Hill Chorale on Facebook.
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The Capitol Hill Chorale, a celebrated American chorus ensemble based in Washington, DC, is set to tour Georgia with performances of Georgian chants and folk songs later this month.
The 1993-established “100-voice” choir, known for its wide repertory of classic choral works and led by Artistic Director Frederick Binkholder, will be found in three locations with their touring programme throughout a week starting June 22.
While in Georgia, they will join local ensembles while also honouring the legacy of composer Zakaria Paliashvili by performing his Georgian Sacred Chants on the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom.
Versions of the iconic Mravalzhamieri folk piece, a major part of Georgia’s polyphonic heritage, will be heard on shows of the United States-based group during their tour, with an urban piece by composer Shota Milorava also selected for the ensemble’s appearances.
See the Capitol Hill Chorale perform a version of the Georgian ‘Mravalzhamieri’ folk song ahead of their Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church performance in Washington, DC earlier this month:
The tour is the first of its kind, showcasing the Chorale’s unique musical repertoire and building on the relationship between the Chorale and Georgia."
Alongside this monumental Georgian work [the Paliashvili piece], CHC is pairing quintessential songs spanning the breadth and depth of musical traditions from across this country. From Gershwin to Hogan to Siegfried, this is sure to be a true cultural exchange." — the Capitol Hill Chorale.
The Georgian State Choir will join the travelling group at the Jansugh Kakhidze Tbilisi Centre for Music and Culture, while the Kutaisi Opera Choir will be their partners in the western city’s Opera House venue.
More appearances will see the Washington, DC choir bring their connections to the Georgian choral music to spaces like the House Museum of Paliashvili, the Samtavisi Cathedral in central Georgia and the Gelati Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Beside offering their renditions of Georgian music throughout the tour, the Capitol Hill Chorale will also bring a selection of “America’s early musical traditions, spirituals, jazz, and modern interpretations of Shaker music”, a release by the group said.
We're getting our voices and our taste buds ready for our Georgia tour this summer. https://t.co/gskf6ruEc3
— Capitol Hill Chorale (@CapHillChorale) May 20, 2019
The Chorale’s visit to Georgia is also a nod to their connections to Paliashvili — a figure revered in the Georgian opera community — dating back a decade when the Georgian Sacred Chants, a then-lost work, was transliterated by member Thea Austen and founder Parker Jayne.
When we recorded this work in 2014, it was the first recording of the work ever made in its original Georgian language.
As the work had been too Western for Georgian traditionalists, too Georgian for the Russian Orthodox Church, and too religious for the Soviets after the Russian Revolution, it remained forgotten for nearly a century. — the Capitol Hill Chorale.
Bringing the Chants back to life, the American choir recorded the piece and made it available on both physical and digital mediums.
The Chorale, which also performs commissioned works in addition to folk, jazz, and popular-song repertory, will be in Georgia with the support of the US Embassy in the country.
The Georgian tour of the group will be held between June 22-29.