PRESS RELEASE
June 30, 2004
Embassy of the Republic of Armenia
2225 R Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20008
Tel: 202-319-1976, x. 348; Fax: 202-319-2982
Email: armecon@speakeasy.net; Web:

Armenian Embassy Hosts Narek Bell Choir as Part of French Music Festival in
D.C.

On June 18, 2004, the Embassy of Armenia hosted a concert by the Narek Bell
Choir, held as part of the “Fete de la Musique,” the annual French Music
Festival, which is hosted by Washington, DC for the second time. The
concert, entitled “Christmas in June,” featured traditional French carols
and Christmas songs and was dedicated to celebrating the French culture.

Narek Bell Choir of St. Mary Armenian Church in Washington, DC 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. In its four years of existence, the ten young
and talented Armenian performers of the Narek Bell Choir has successfully
presented the Armenian culture at such venues as the White House, the
Library of Congress, the Armenian Embassy, the Central Park in New York
City, and a variety of religious venues across the United States, including
NYC’s St. Vartan Cathedral.

The Embassy concert and the Fete de la Musique festival were co-hosted by
the District of Columbia Commission on the Arts and Humanities. The concert
featured such hits as “He Is Born, The Holy Child” and “Once Upon a
December – Paris Holds the Keys (To Your Heart).” The audience included over
100 French spiritual music aficionados from Washington, DC, including
Embassy staff, Ambassador and Mrs. Michael Lemmon, Jose Dominguez from DC
Commission on the Arts and Humanities, and Mike Goggin from Interfaith
Conference of Metropolitan Washington.

For more information on the Narek Bell Choir, please visit