Review Text
Music on this CD The music on this CD contains excerpts (SOORP ADVADZ, MARMEEN DEROONAGAN, KRISDOS EE MECH, HAYR MER, and AMEN. YEGHEETSEE) from the music settings of the Divine Liturgy of the Armenian Church from the following composers: Pietro Bianchini (1877), Magar Yegmalian (1986), Amy Apcar (1896), Levon Chilingirian (1898), Gomidas (1908), Edgar Manas (1962), Khoren Mekanejian (1983), and Socrates Boyajian (2006). Narek Bell Choir of St. Mary Armenian Church is the first and the only bell choir in the Armenian Church today. It was founded in 2000 under the leadership of Rev. Fr. Vertanes Kalayjian and Music Director Leon Khoja-Eynatyan. The Choir's repertoire includes Armenian Church Hymns (Sharagans), Armenian Folk music, American Spirituals, Carols from around the World and popular songs. These young performers have presented the Armenian culture at the White House; at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC; Central Park, New York City; The Armenian Embassy, Washington, DC; at Christmas Concerts at St. Vartan Cathedral, New York City; The Washington DC Temple Visitor's Center; Holy Martyrs Armenian Church, Bayside, NY; St. John's Armenian Church, Detroit, MI; Sts. Sahag and Mesrob Armenian Church, Providence, RI; St. James Armenian Church, Richmond, VA; St. Columba's Episcopal Church, Washington, DC; First Congregational Church, Cambridge, MA; Armenian Evangelical Church, Manhattan; NY Armenian Home, NY; St. Nersess Armenian Seminary, New Rochelle, NY and The Cooper Union Hall, New York City; St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral and The National Shrine of Basilica of Immaculate Conception, Washington, DC; The United Nations' Headquarter in New York; St. Hripsime Armenian Church in Vienna, Austria. Ringers of NAREK Bell Choir recently returned from their first concert tour to Europe and Motherland- Armenia where they introduced and founded the art of Bell Choir. The Bell Choir is named after St. Gregory of Narek a 10th century prominent church father, poet, musician and mystic.
