Culture: President attends presentation of Armenian National Music Treasury program

Panorama, Armenia
Sept 27 2017

President Serzh Sargsyan and his spouse Rita Sargsyan attended on Tuesday the presentation of the Cultural Revival Foundation-hosted Armenian National Music Treasury program, which was held at the “Vache and Tamar Manukyan” repository of ancient manuscripts of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

As the press department at the President’s Office reported, during the presentation, the Cultural Revival Foundation’s recent publications were introduced: the finalized version of the Liturgy by Makar Ekmalyan in Latin transliteration, and Zhamagirq, one of the most important musical rites of the Armenian Church, which for the first time is published in the European musical notation and in accordance with international press criteria. Both books feature musicological forewords, notes and explanations in Armenian and English.

Founder and President of the Cultural Revival Foundation Artur Janibekyan presented a mobile musical player referred to as Armenian National Music Box as the emblem of the Armenian National Musical Treasure program, which contains over 500 folk and spiritual musical pieces recorded and digitized by the Foundation. Artur Janibekyan offered the first copy of the Armenian National Musical Box to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
The huge work done to materialize Komitas Vardapet’s dream of life was presented as a gift to the great Vardapet on his birthday – September 26.

During the event, a film was presented about Armenian traditional music and the activities of the Cultural Revival Foundation. After the blessing of His Holiness Garegin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, musical fragments from Zhamagirq and the Liturgy were performed by the Yerevan State Chamber Choir, directed by Harutyun Topikyan.

Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS