Hundreds of choral singing lovers listened, eyes closed, to the singers from Georgia.
(Photo: Martin Alarie)
Symbiosis, strength and power
It was in an ambiance of meditation and contemplation, in the Chapel of the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, that the Choir of the Church of St. Panteleimon performed at the Mondial Choral Laval International Choral Singing Contest, this past Wednesday, July 3.
It was in front of an audience of 200 mostly senior citizens that the quartet, directed by Badri Jimsheleishvili, sang 15 traditional pieces from their Georgia homeland, a former republic of the Soviet Union that shares borders with Russia, Armenia, and Syria.
Eyes closed
To the ear came a blend of Gregorian Chants, Moslem prayers, and the polyphonic (two or more melodic parts sung together) sounds of Corsica's Petru Guelfucci. The four men have a treasure trove of short and long tunes, at times approximating the power of the entire Red Army Chorus, at other times sounding as sweet as fathers singing lullabies to their babies.
With the voices of the heart and the head blending in a constancy of purpose, tenors and basses easily glided in an out of the incursions of sopranos in momentary points and counterpoints. Their voices constant, the levels and transitions perfectly mastered, with the listener unable to detect any breaks in the singers' breathing patterns; such was the height of harmonious perfection achieved by the quartet. It was obvious that many hours of practice were devoted to the presentation of this kind of symbiotic performance to discriminating audiences.
Ovations
Even though a few in the audience left moments after the concert began, those who stayed were effusive in their response throughout the performance, and at the end showed their approval with four standing ovations which visibly moved the singers.
Unanswered questions
If there were anything to regret about the evening it would be the number of questions left unanswered. At no point in the performance did the audience get any explanation as to the role and meaning of the props and costumes (swords, togas, tunics, albs) used in the presentation. Nor did the audience get any explanation as to the meaning of the lyrics of the songs. A better effort in either the program booklet or an accompanying commentary would have added a precious dimension to what was an almost perfect evening of choral singing presented by the Choir of St. Panteleimon Church, a group from Georgia which in 2008 will celebrate its 20th Anniversary.
Photo:Soeurs2
(Photo: Martin Alarie)
Météo: Laval, 18 juillet 2008 / 19°C
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/ Vents: 11 Km/h / Humidité relative: 88 % 
Steven Guilbeault - Chronique environnement
Richard Cléroux - Le fouineur politique
