HENRIK HOVHANNISIAN AND DAVIT HOVHANNES HOLD SAME OPINION THAT CHOOSING OF NEW NATIONAL ANTHEM WAS NOT URGENT AT THIS MOMENT

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Sept 05 2006

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 5, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Art critic Henrik
Hovhannisian and poet Davit Hovhannes presented their viewpoints
and comments on the new Armenian national anthem at the September 5
dispute at the Hayeli (Mirror) club.

>From the very start the dispute participants emphasized that they
should not have kicked up a racket over the national anthem, on the
contrary, the commission and the people in a quiet situation should
have selected the song that was more close to their hearts. Both of
the guests gave assurance that choosing of the national anthem was
not urgent at this moment. In Henrik Hovhannisian’s words, among 5
variants that have passed to the second stage, the anthems with music
composed by Tigran Mansurian on the basis of the "Armenia-Heavenly
Country’s" Komitas version and "I Love the Sun Sweet Taste of Armenia"
poem by Charents are most acceptable for him.

In the words of Davit Hovhannes who left the contest commission on
selection of national anthem lyrics and music on August 28, two out of
five variants having passed to the second stage are "criminal." The
authors of these two variants introduced themselves by nicknames and
it was unknown for a long time who they are. After long searches it
was found out that the author of one of them is Arsen Soghomonian,
Head of the Board of RA Ministry of Culture and Youth Affairs, and
another one, Ararat B., is member of the above mentioned commission,
poet Razmik Davoyan. In the last circumstance, as Davit Hovhannes
declared, the working order of the contest commission was grossly
violated, as none of the persons included in the same commission has
the right to submit a bid. In D.Hovhannes’ words, this circumstance
casts doubt on the commission’s future activities.

In Henrik Hovhannisian’s words, the anthem’s Aram Khachatrian and
"Our Homeland" variants have a political past: both of them contain
the logic and necessity of the time. The art critic emphasized that
the national anthem is not merely lyrics and music but history and
politics.