A former Soviet republic nestled in the southern Caucasus is probably not the typical point of origin for a group of a capella singers performing at Wesleyan, so a curious and enthusiastic crowd gathered at the Memorial Chapel to listen to the Anchiskhati Choir from Tbilisi, Georgia present the second concert of their American debut tour.
The eight bearded men, clad in traditional black and white military dress, gave a vigorous performance last Tuesday that showcased the diversity and power of Georgia’s folk music culture. Combining the sacred and the secular, work songs, Orthodox Easter chants and even a village war dance, Anchiskhati transported the audience to a place and time that, for much of the twentieth century, was silenced by Soviet era cultural repression.
Josh Groham ’03, who met the members of the choir while living in Georgia and helped to organize their American tour, introduced the pieces and explained the history and importance of the choir in Georgia today. Founded in 1987 by students at the music conservatory in Tbilisi and named for the sixth century Orthodox church where they regularly perform, Anchiskhati is the world’s leading exponent of Georgian polyphonic choral music and has been instrumental in reviving traditional music and cultural practices in the wake of the fall of the Soviet Union.
“Medieval Orthodox chants went unheard for seventy years during the communist era,” noted Groham from the stage. Only after the Soviet archives were opened could the choir gain access to the manuscripts that preserve a musical heritage that stretches back centuries. A slide show of nineteenth century photographs of Georgian folk groups in traditional clothes was projected throughout the evening.
Georgian music is famous for its haunting polyphonic structure, which can often seem challenging and strange to listeners more accustomed to Western harmonies.
“There hasn’t been a lot of research done on it, but the theory is that Georgia’s relative?isolation from the rest of the world led its people to develop a tuning system that is not oriented within the parameters of a perfect octave,” explained Hannah Goodwin-Brown ’07, a music major who plans to study in Georgia next semester. “The most noticeable consequence of this is that you often find neutral thirds in Georgian music—it is neither major nor minor, and consequently sounds really unusual, and out of tune, to the Western?ear.”
Indeed, the choir sang with a piercing intensity that soared through the Chapel, alternating monastic chants evoking the somber vastness of the Georgian landscape with energetic improvisatory pieces, cheerful yodeling, and plaintive love songs. The diverse program reflected the pervasive role music plays in the everyday lives of Georgians, a role that was tempered by years of communist suppression but continues to thrive.
“Even in these post-communist days, I actually regularly hear stories about Georgian immigrants going to restaurants in the U.S. and just breaking into three-part harmony after they have finished their meal,” Goodwin-Brown said. “This is pretty incredible, from the viewpoint of a Westerner, because there aren’t really any songs, besides maybe Happy Birthday, that are important rituals in our daily lives.”
The choir seems to be enjoying its first excursion in the United States.
“We are excited to be here, and so far audiences have been very warm,” said Anchiskhati co-manager Luarsab Togonidze, of the choir’s 30-day, 25-concert American tour. “For Western audiences this music can be difficult to listen to with its complex combination of sounds, but we have chosen to perform at places where people have good taste and can appreciate our music. We hope it becomes more popular, because we have lots to offer.”
“Their unique use of harmony was very inspiring, especially since they perform in a sixth century church in Georgia and were able to perform here at our very own Chapel,” said Sivan Cotel ’05, director of the World Music Collective, which sponsored Tuesday’s concert.
“I thought the concert was fantastic,” Goodwin-Brown said. “It is always great to watch a Georgian yodel. They sang a couple songs I was familiar with from recordings, so hearing them live was really moving.”
The Anchiskhati choir’s U.S. tour continues with concerts in New York, Boston, Chicago, and many other cities. More information on the group, including a tour schedule, can be found at http://www.northernharmony.pair.com/concerts/anchiskhati.html.
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