Damascus Soloists Band performed a musical evening on Monday in Moscow dedicated to introducing the Russian audience to Syriac music and its ancient history in Syria, in the presence of the Syrian Ambassador to Russia, Dr. Bashar al-Jaafari.
The band presented many Syrian melodies, chants, hymns, and church songs in the Arabic and Syriac languages, under the supervision of the academician Andrei Makdisi, and led by Maestro Misak Bagboudrian.
The band attended the concert at invitations of the organizers of the 17th International Music Festival “Moscow Forum”.
The evening’s program included 19 musical and lyrical pieces that simulate different stages of the development of the various Syriac rituals, including a set of folkloric melodies, church songs and hymns.
“We came from Syria, the country of love and peace, to share with you our art, our history and our love, and we thank you for this wonderful reception” Makdisi said at the end of the ceremony.
Bagboudrian explained that the band started its activity in Damascus then Moscow, to move to Novosibirsk later, and it received an invitation for next year to participate in the Sochi International Festival, with a possibility to participate in a concert in Petersburg.
“Syrian musicians enriched our experience with their wonderful performance, and this was the first time that we listened to Christian music from Syria, especially since most of the population of Russia embraces Eastern Orthodox Christianity and despite the chants and hymns that we heard today were in Arabic and Syriac, but they stirred our spiritual and heartfelt feelings “, Yulla, presenter of the concert, said.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency