Georgian ensemble, Nanina. UK tour - ALL DATES, plus Ts'utisopeli - a weekend of workshops, performance and feasting

Women's ensemble, Nanina, from the country of Georgia, are touring the UK during September 2025, teaching and performing polyphonic songs, and appearing as guests of honour at a weekend festival of Georgian polyphony.

Nanina are one of the foremost women's ensembles from the country of Georgia, with a wealth of experience as singers and teachers. Nanina have toured internationally on a number of occasions, but this will be their first visit to the UK.

In addition to being seasoned singers, musicians and teachers, the members of Nanina are also professional musicologists, who, for three decades, have been researching, documenting, and popularizing traditional Georgian music, including songs from every musical dialect across Georgia. Their warm and engaging performance style springs both from their deep knowledge and passion for the music of their homeland, but also from their connections with each other, having been friends and singing together since their student years at the Tbilisi State Conservatoire in the 1990s.

Their performances feature unique songs, performed by no other ensembles, and include traditional Georgian instruments such as the stringed chonguri, chuniri and panduri, and the Georgian accordion, the garmoni. All of this is accompanied with traditional folk dress and dance, with concerts ranging across cradle songs, healing songs, work songs, wedding songs, mourning songs, ritual songs, and playful songs.

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.

TOUR DATES + TICKET LINKS

Links to details and ticket pages for other tour dates will be added here as each is confirmed.

Thursday 11 + Friday 12, London – Workshop + concert

Saturday 13, Oxford – Workshop + concert (tickets here)

Monday 15, Stroud – Workshop + concert (tickets here)

Tuesday 16, Birmingham – Workshop + concert

Thursday 18, Manchester – Workshop + concert (tickets here)

Friday 19–Sunday 21, Silverdale – Ts'utisopeli festival (book on this page)

Tuesday 23, Glasgow – Concert (tickets 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.

NANINA

TS'UTISOPELI WEEKEND 
Friday 19–Sunday 21 September

Ts'utisopeli (წუთისოფელი) is a word that has many related meanings in Georgian – sometimes translated as 'small world', 'small village', or even 'brief life'. The centrepiece of the tour, this will be a full weekend of workshops, feasting and performance, bringing together our visiting Georgian ensembles, as well as singers from across the UK.

In Georgian culture hosting is taken very seriously indeed, with a guest being considered a gift from God. This year we will be welcomed and supported in the beautiful village of Silverdale on Morecambe bay by our local hosts, Lancaster Georgian choir, Chveni Khmebi.

PROGRAM
Workshops will be held in the Gaskell Hall, and in other venues across the village. The full, detailed program will be confirmed in due course, but the outline of the weekend will be as follows:

FRIDAY EVENING
The weekend will begin on the Friday evening with an introductory workshop. We'll get to know each other, warm up our voices, and share repertoire to sing together over the weekend.

SATURDAY WORKSHOPS
On Saturday we will have a full day of workshops from our visiting Georgian singers. The workshops are open to all, and there is no need to read music, know the language, or have previous experience. Songs will be taught by ear. So if you are unfamiliar with this tradition, you are guaranteed a warm welcome and an enjoyable introduction to this beautiful music.

SATURDAY PERFORMANCE
On Saturday lunchtime we will have a performance in St John's Church featuring our visiting Georgian singers and singers attending from UK Georgian choirs, including Lancaster's Chveni Khmebi, London's Maspindzeli, and others.

The Saturday lunchtime performance will not be a ticketed event, but donations will be invited to cover costs, and refreshments will be available, including Georgian wine.

SATURDAY EVENING SUPRA
On the Saturday evening we will gather together for a supra, or ritual Georgian feast.

Georgia has a highly distinctive and sophisticated cuisine. Led by a toastmaster, or tamada, the supra tradition combines the sharing of this delicious food with heartfelt toasts and songs, creating an unforgettable, moving and highly authentic experience of Georgian culture. But beautiful though Georgian food, wine and song are, the supra is more than the sum of its parts. The structure of the supra creates a space where it is possible to connect with each other not as performers and audience, but as hosts and honoured guests.

WINE
Wine is central to Georgian culture, and considered essential for toasting at a supra. You are welcome to bring your own wine, or whatever else you would like to drink. But you can also pre-order Georgian wine for collection at the event, or buy Georgian or other wine over the weekend. Add your wine selection at the checkout when purchasing your tickets.

We buy our Georgian wine through specialist importers, Taste of Georgia. The selection of wines on offer include wines made with typical Georgian grape varieties, as well as wines fermented naturally using the ancient 'qvevri' method, and those made in the unique amber or 'orange' style. For those very special toasts we also have the classic Georgian grape spirit drink, 'chacha'!

SUNDAY MORNING 
On Sunday morning we will have masterclasses, focusing on Georgian singing technique, and the context and deeper significance of these songs.

SUNDAY AFTERNOON PERFORMANCE
To end the weekend, on Sunday afternoon our visiting Georgian singers will give a full concert at Gaskell Hall, with interval and refreshments.

TICKETS

We work hard to keep all of our events accessible to as many people as possible, while still adequately compensating our expert music leaders. To that end we are offering a range of options for participating in this workshop weekend, including residential passes, non residential passes, and day passes. For each ticket there is a choice of three price bands, to suit your means. In choosing the appropriate price band, we suggest the following guide:

Supporter: If you can comfortably afford to pay your bills, and more than one or two main holidays each year, please consider paying the supporter rate, which will help us to offer lower cost tickets to those who would otherwise be unable to attend.

Standard: If you can pay all your bills, but don't have a lot of disposable income for discretionary spend, the standard ticket price may be right for you.

Concessionary: For anyone on a low income, in receipt of income based benefits, or who would struggle to pay the standard rate.

Weekend £165/130/95
Friday evening and Saturday, with supra £120/100/80
Friday evening and Saturday day pass £90/75/60
Saturday, with supra £105/85/65
Saturday day pass £75/60/45
Sunday pass, including concert £60/50/40
Supra only (subject to availability) £40/30/20
Single workshop £17.50/15/10
Concert only £17.50/15/10

The weekend pass includes lunch and evening meals. Day passes include lunch.

As always, if you are keen to attend but cost is a barrier for you, please contact us directly.

ACCOMMODATION
Accommodation options are available nearby to suit all budgets, including camping at Silver Saplings or Gibraltar Farm, caravans at Holgates Holiday Park, various bed and breakfast options and holiday cottages, or the Silverdale Hotel.

TRANSPORT
Parking is limited at Gaskell Hall. Please consider using public transport, if possible, and if arriving by car please be considerate of local residents when parking. Silverdale train station is a little over one mile from the centre of the village. The number 51 bus stops in the centre of the village, and connects with some trains.

YOUTH AND CHILD TICKETS
This weekend will be a family friendly event. Discounts are offered for under 18s. To apply the discount, open a new order, and apply the appropriate promo code: Youth (14-18 years, 25% discount), or Child (8-14 years, 50% discount). Note that promo codes are case sensitive, and only one promo code can be applied to each order. If you wish to apply both codes or to purchase adult and youth or child tickets, it is necessary to place these as separate orders.

Children up to 8 years of age may attend free, but please let us know when booking, so that we can manage numbers and cater accordingly. Children must be accompanied and supervised by a responsible adult.

Facebook event page