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  London, England - A series of concerts centeted on international choral music,
under the name of Worldvoice 2003, will take place at London's Queen
Elizabeth Hall in October of 2003. Two top Georgian vocal ensembles will perform
in the British capital: Gori Women's Choir and Rustavi Choir. William Robson,
Artistic Director of the festival, describes the focus of the event: "Singing
in a group is an ancient human musical activity which unites societies
profoundly - a song's words contain the deepest beliefs of a society, and the
occasions for singing are momentous: births, weddings, funerals and festivals.
In drawing together a festival of choral music from across the globe, I am drawn
to the way that most peoples still use choral music for its most fundamental
purpose: celebration. Choirs from all over the world have been invited to take
part, and each one of them has been chosen because it represents the very best
in its tradition."
Worldvoice 2003
OCTOBER 4th, 2003
7:00 pm Queen Elizabeth Hall
Gori Women's Choir
From its foundations in Tbilisi in 1970, the choir has grown in size and scope
to become a remarkable performer of contemporary Georgian music, representing
the opposite pole to that of the Rustavi Choir, demonstrating the strength of
the Georgian choral tradition. This is also their first visit to the U.K.
OCCTOBER 5th, 2003
7:00 pm Queen Elizabeth Hall
Rustavi Choir
 Songs and dances for both work and war have been noted by historians writing
about the Georgian area for over two thousand years. The many foreign invaders
seem not to have affected this significantly, for the unique style of polyphonic
choral singing is still strong in all the regions of Georgia, and does not occur
at all in any of its neighbouring countries. Singers and dancers from all these
regions came together in 1968 to form the Rustavi Company, all contributing
their local material and traditions. This gives the Rustavi Choir, for example
(a part of the Rustavi Company) a huge repertoire of pieces, both sacred and
secular, and the distinctive voices needed to perform them.
The robust work-songs, some of which may even predate the Christian era, are
models of rhythmic precision. And the drinking songs have an enviable gusto -
one which would make any team of sports fans proud. With their splendid costumes
and full, rich voices, the Rustavi Choir is a sight and sound which no-one ever
forgets.
Series: 020 7960 4242 (not available online)
www.rfh.org.uk
www.ocmevents.org
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