Participants:
Latvian Radio Choir,
Conductor Sigvards Kļava

Program:
Georgian spiritual chants and hymns, Zacharia Paliashvili “Songs from the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom”

On the final day of the Christmas Festival, on 7 January at 5 p.m., the Latvian Radio Choir conducted by Sigvards Kļava will perform the programme “Orthodox Prayers and Georgian Polyphonic Chants”, this time focusing on sacred Georgian music.

The unique Georgian tradition of polyphonic singing is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List – it existed before the introduction of Christianity and is still an integral part of Georgian culture today. The generosity of the Georgian heart, the spiritual strength and the majesty of the Caucasus Mountains permeate their spiritual chants, which transcend the everyday with their divine beauty.

The concert will feature sacred Georgian chants. There will also be a performance of pages from the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom by the founder of Georgian academic music Zachary Paliashvili. By arranging the ancient traditional chants of the Kakheti region for a multi-voice choir, Paliashvili wanted Georgian music to reach audiences not only in Georgia, but also in other Slavic countries. Since its publication in 1911, the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom had been in obscurity for many years, but in recent decades this opus has experienced a revival as choirs around the world have come to appreciate the depth and inimitable colour of Paliashvili’s music.

Approximate duration: 1 hour 20 minutes