Featuring a group of singers drawn from Mtiebi and Amer-Imeri, renowned vocal ensembles from the country of Georgia. A workshop of Georgian songs at Todfellows Space, Todmorden, followed by a concert at the Parish Church of St James.

Organised by Pitchblend and Hebden's women's Georgian choir, Zarebi

This event forms part of a UK wide tour during May 2024, taking in towns and cities in Scotland, England and Wales, during which the visiting Georgian singers will share this richly diverse musical tradition, along with the unique Georgian dances, costumes, rituals and food with which the music is connected.

The centrepiece of the tour will be a residential weekend event, called ts'utisopeli, at which singers from across the UK will gather to learn and sing together, and to share a supra, or Georgian feast. Workshops throughout the tour will be planned to help us prepare for the supra evening, when we eat, drink and sing together at the supra table.

Further information and tickets for the ts'utisopeli weekend and other tour dates: here

Choirfest, Saturday 11 May, Hebden Bridge

Seven local choirs will be performing a wide variety of music in Hebden Bridge. Anyone attending Choirfest is entitled to claim a special 15% discount on tickets for Amer-Imeri. Discount code will be provided when booking your tickets for Choirfest here. 

GEORGIAN POLYPHONY

Georgia, in the Caucasus mountains, boasts a rich and ancient UNESCO listed tradition of complex polyphony. Like Georgia itself, the music sits at the crossroads between Europe and Asia, yet has its own, truly unique character. It blends challenging, dissonant and microtonal chords with sweet and lyrical close harmonies. Ancient pagan, shamanic ritual songs with soaring liturgical chants. Powerful work songs, rousing wedding songs, and modern, composed songs all continue this music into the present day. Encompassing thirteen regional styles, the music from the east and west of Georgia are quite distinct, with that of the Gurian region on the Black Sea coast being particularly complex, and often including a fourth, yodeling voice, known as krimanchuli.

Mtiebi and Amer-Imeri

On this tour we will have the pleasure of welcoming twelve singers drawn from Mtiebi and Amer-Imeri ensembles.

Mtiebi choir was founded in 1980 by the renowned ethnomusicologist, Edisher Garakanidze, and soon established itself as one of the foremost ensembles dedicated to pioneering the research and revival of the traditional singing and folklore practices of Georgia. Edisher was also a key figure in introducing Georgian polyphonic singing to the UK.

In 1991 Edisher and his wife, Nino Baghaturia, created a youth ensemble, Amer-Imeri, through which many current members of Mtiebi have trained. From 2001-2012 Amer-Imeri was directed by Edisher’s son, Gigi (Giorgi) Garakanidze, since when it has been headed by its current leader, Magda Kevlishvili.

The main creative principle behind both choirs is understanding and performing the songs alongside the folklore, dances and rituals that are integral to them. Younger singers in Amer-Imeri learn traditional Georgian children’s games and dances, and traditional instruments. They become familiar with the history and mythology of Georgia, and they learn church hymns and participate in divine service. The singers and teachers travel to different regions of Georgia and learn directly from tradition bearers, and the new generation of singers learn to perform songs freely and independently, without the guidance of elders, just as their peers historically sang in the countryside. And, having learned the traditions and made them their own, they create their own folklore, with improvisation and ornamentation of songs and lyrics, games, tongue twisters, and mocking verses.

Amer-Imeri bring all this to their performance and teaching, but also into their everyday lives.

Recognised by numerous awards over three decades, both in Georgia and internationally, Amer-Imeri was the winner of the 2022 Georgian National Folklore Festival, was featured on BBC radio and television is 2002, and has participated in folklore festivals in Lithuania, Poland and Germany.

To hear the leader of the ensemble, Magda Kevlishvili, talking about Georgian Christmas traditions, listen to her interview on the Voices of the Ancestors podcast.

TIMINGS AND TICKETS

WORKSHOP 2–5pm
NOTE: The workshop will take place in the centre of Todmorden at: Todfellows Space, Oxford Street, Todmorden OL14 5PU

The workshop is open to all. Songs will be taught by ear, and there is no need to read music or know the Georgian language. Numbers are limited to 40 for the workshop, so early booking is advised.

CONCERT 7–9pm
Doors open 6.30pm. Interval, with refreshments available (cash or card). 

CONCESSIONS
Student, unwaged and in receipt of disability or income related benefits. Children and carers accompanying a registered disabled person may attend free.

Workshop £25/15 Concert £15/10 Combined £32/20

Note: We recognise that many people are experiencing financial strain. If you are keen to attend but cost is an issue for you, please contact us directly, and we can try to work something out.

PARKING
We encourage all guests to consider using public transport if possible. The workshop venue is only a few minutes walk from the train station, while the concert venue is an easy ten minutes walk, and easily accessible by bus.

If arriving by car, note that there is no parking at the workshop venue. However, there are several free car parks in the centre of Todmorden. There is limited on street parking near the concert venue, and pay and display car parks nearby.

ACCESSIBILITY
We are keen for all of our events to be as accessible as possible. If you have any specific accessibility needs, please contact the local organiser to discuss your requirements. Both venues are fully wheelchair accessible.

COVID POLICY
Please do not attend any event if you are suffering from any potentially infectious respiratory illness, including Covid. If you have reason to believe that you may have been exposed to Covid in the week before the event, please take a lateral flow test. If you are unable to attend for this reason, a full refund will be given.

FURTHER INFORMATION
For general enquiries regarding ticketing or any errors or omissions or clarifications in respect to the information on this page, please email Pitchblend.

For detailed enquiries regarding the event itself, please email the local organiser, Helen Curtis, or call her on 07903074674.

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