In Celebration of the Human Voice - The Essential Musical Instrument
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The Armenian word Hover (wind) frequently occurs in beautiful folk songs by Komitas, a revered name in Armenian sacred and folk music, which is part of the choir's core repertoire. Wind is a primordial element of nature and a life force - it is part of the 'ecology of the soul', a spirit sweeping through time and, like an epic, legend or tale........
This youthful, musically progressive chamber choir is proud to be able to present Armenian music to the wider world. Both old and new music from the Armenian nation has been a very well-kept secret. Hover has been privileged to be able to be one of the most active Chamber choirs in promoting Armenian music and the wealth of treasure with which this beholds.
The internationally acclaimed, award-winning Hover: Chamber Choir of Armenia was established in Yerevan, Armenia in 1992 as a performing arts group, consisting of 26 singers many of whom are students, or graduates, of the Komitas National Conservatory in Yerevan, Armenia. The choir is supported by donations and honoraria. The tale of Hover began over ten years ago, and continues to evolve......
Hover is a musical ambassador for Armenia and Armenian music, winning diplomas at the International Polyphonic Music Festival in Arezzo, Italy in 1997 and the International Competition in Tours, France as well as the gold medal at the International Choir Olympiad in Linz, Austria in 2000. In September 2003 Hover toured Great Britain, presenting concerts in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Cambridge and London.
Among the major works it has performed in the past five years are Bach's St John and St Matthew Passions, Britten's Cantata Misericordia, Buxtehude's Magnificat, Ludwig Basil's setting of St Gregory of Narek's Book of Lamentations, Requiems by Mozart and Cherubini, Avet Terteryan's Sixth Symphony, as well as numerous collections of Armenian sacred and folk music.
2003, Hover present Armenian music to the general public of the United Kingdom, singing in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Cambridge and London to critical acclaim.
In 2003 Hover performed "Six Fables," a choral performance of Armenian fabulist Vardan Aigektsi's Fables composed by Stepan Babatorosyan, which has been characterised as a new genre in music culture.
2002, Hover performed with the renowned London Sinfonietta, singing in the world premiere of Stephan Rostomyan's 'Entrance', conducted by Diego Masson.
2001, the male staff of Hover were recorded for the soundtrack of the eminent Canadian filmmaker Atom Egoyan's movie, "Ararat."
Music critics in Armenia, Russia, France, Italy, Austria and the United Kingdom have praised Hover for its timbre, precision and sophisticated handling of close harmonies and complex rhythms of Armenian, classical and especially modern works. The choir has a rich and varied repertoire of Armenia and Western sacred and classical works, folk songs and popular music. Hover's youthful energy and new genres make an immediate connection with the larger listening public.
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Review: In Armenian, Hover (Hoh-ver) evokes the image on song soaring on the wind, and it's also the name of one of the most beautiful Armenian folk songs by Komitas vardapet, a revered name in Armenian folk and sacred music, also part of Hover's repertoire. The 24-strong mixed-voice Choir came together in Yerevan in 1992 as a volunteer performing arts group, mostly students and graduates of the Komitas National Conservatory; led by founder and artistic director Sona Hovhannisyan. There are 21 folk and sacred songs here, particularly nice are Kodaly's "Esti Dal" (Evening Song), Britten's "Carol" and "Ye that Pasen By," Poulenc's "Timor et Tremor," Ravel's "Nicolette," and a number of wonderful tunes by Armenia's Komitas: "Ode," "Threshing Song," "Ploughing Song of Lori," "A Pumpkin Grows on the Garden Wall," and "Greeting The Morning," Gershwin's "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" and Lennon/McCartney's "Michelle." A joyful, well-chosen mix, beautifully performed by this fine mixed Choir. The extensive, colorful liner notes tell us about the music and lyrics.
Songlist: Esti Dal (Evening Song), Carol, Ye that Pasen by, Remember not, Lord, Our Offences, Crucifixus, Timor et Tremor, Nicolette, Lenten is Come, A Hymn to the Virgin, Ode (Sirt im sasani), Threshing Song, Ploughing Song of Lori, A Pumpkin Grows on the Garden Wall (Baghi pate ddum a) (Komitas), Greeting the Morning (Aravotun bari luys), Cloudy Skies (Ampel a kamar-kamar) (Komitas), Dance-songs, Secretary to God, A Quiet Place, Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, Michelle, Scherzo
Review: Hover performs the Choral Mystery, a work based on the fables of the The Armenian Renaissance fabulist and monk Vardan Aigektsi (1170-1235). The fables were adapted for the stage by Yuri Sahakyan, and set to music specially for Hover by Stepan Babatorosyan, and performed under the direction of Mikayel Vatinyan and Arthur Manukyan at the Io-Theatre, Although thoroughly modern and innovative, the Choral Mystery springs from the traditions of ancient theater and contemporary opera. Like its predecessors, including the Christian mystery plays, classical cantata, comedia della arte, this work is morality theater in the manner of an oratorio. The Aigektsi fables with their varied themes and colorful characters provide the perfect material for fusing the dramatic, graphic, kinetic and musical capabilities of Hover. Although 700 years old, the Aigektsi Fables are as relevant today as when they were written. They combine modern and traditional Armenian musical elements with dramatic device dating to early Greek drama.
Songlist: Prologue, The Healing Bird, The Hermit And The Sheepdog, Interlude, The Eagle And The Arrow, The Ailing Lion And The Fox, The Camel, The Donkey, And The Pigs, The Fox And The Armor, Epilogue
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