The Birth of Hope

GARGATCH CHILDREN’S CHOIR of HAMAZKAYIN:

Gargatch Children Choir of Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society was established in 1997 by Maestro Zakar Keshishian, its founding artistic director and conductor, who led the choir for 22 consecutive years until 2019.

Gargatch has performed annual concerts in Lebanon and held a series of concerts in Armenia (2001) and Cyprus (2007, 2009), for over 20.000 listeners. During the past 25 years, Gargatch had more than 600 members performing scores of songs written and composed by talented poets and composers who have regularly enriched its repertoire with works exclusively composed for the choir. The annual program includes multi-lingual, classical, folk and contemporary songs.

Gargatch is respected among the professional children’s choirs in Lebanon singing in 4 parts (quatre voix).

In addition to annual concerts, Gargatch has performed Christmas concerts organized the Lebanese American University- Byblos Campus (2008), Friends of Al Boustan Festival (2009), Zaki Nassif Program Music Festival (2014). Besides, Gargatch had regularly participated in “Beirut Chants” for ten consecutive years led by Maestro Zakar Keshishian.

From 2019 to 2021 Gargatch was conducted by Lucy Krouzian. Currently Gargatch’s choirmaster is Lebanese Armenian soprano Shoghig Torossian. Both are promising students of Parsegh Ganatchian College of Music. Shoghig Torossian also teaches vocal training and solfeggio at the same College of Music.

In the frame of Beirut Chants festival, Gargatch Children’s choir will perform a mostly Christmas songs in different languages with piano accompaniment.

Event's Program

Parsegh Ganatchian

1. Clouds

2. Morning in the village

3. A Children’s orchestra

Zaki Nassif

4. Na’ili Ahla Zahra. Arr. Edouard Torikian

Sayat Nova

5. You are the fairy siren/ Crying with the nightingale. Arr. R. Altounian

Various Armenian composers

6. Medley of Yerevan songs. Arr. Lena Torossian

Richard Rodgers

7. Edelweiss. Arr. Kevork Keshishian

8. My favorite things. Arr. Linde Spevacek

A collection of Christmas favorites

9. Silent night -Franz Gruber

10. The night fell – A. Mnaguian

11. New year – A. Mnaguian

12. Ding Dong merrily on high -G. Woodward

13. Christmas Bells Medley – Arr. K.S. Layton

14. Shchedryk -Mykola Leontovych

Piano Accompagnement

Verona Rousialian and Kevin Yousif