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ANCIENT HARMONIES RING IN A GEORGIAN CATHEDRAL
A EurasiaNet Photo Essay by John Smock:
4/04/03
Between songs, the 25 members of the Sioni Cathedral choir in Tbilisi, Georgia don’t call much attention to themselves. They tend to relax in a back corner of the main sanctuary – reading, knitting or chatting quietly. But when director Marika Mdzeluri claps her hands and orders them to their feet for the next hymn, the 25 choir members achieve something remarkable. Some might even describe their layered harmony as miraculous. A complex three-part harmony has distinguished classic Georgian music for centuries, and the Sioni choir delivers it with precision. The 13 women and 12 men of the choir sing twice a week in the cathedral, the original foundation of which dates back to the 5th century, making it the oldest church in Tbilisi. Many of the choir’s melodies are Georgian classics and liturgical songs such as "St. David’s Song" which itself dates to the 4th century. The choir members, like most other Georgians, endure economic hardship that has characterized life in the country since the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991. The majority have other professions, though many are out of work. Shota was trained as a chemical engineer but runs a small business delivering paper goods to restaurants. Omar is an out-of-work architect. Neli, one of the director’s two sisters in the choir, is a kindergarten teacher. All members – including Anzor Gogolashvili, a principal singer with the Kutaisi Opera Company – perform for 50 lari, around $20 in American currency, a month. On a day when worshippers fill the church, it is easy to sense the continuity of Georgian heritage. Many light candles and kiss one of the many icons that hang in the sanctuary. Throughout the traditional morning service, which goes on for three hours, the choir sings, raising its voice to raise spirits.
Editor’s Note: John Smock is a freelance photographer and journalist based in Tbilisi and New York.
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Posted April 4, 2003 © Eurasianet
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