Urjwan Choir achieves first place in an international festival

“Urjwan” choir achieved first place in the competition of the largest international art festival in Eastern Europe, in the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, by winning first place over 40 choirs from 16 countries.

About this festival, titled “Together in the Twenty-first Century,” musician Bishr Issa, conductor of the Urjwan choir, said, “The festival is the largest art festival in Bulgaria, Eastern Europe and in Russian-speaking countries in particular. The Bulgaria Foundation for Sustainable Development organizes it in cooperation with the European Choir Association and the Eurasian Council of Composers. It attracts the most important artists, poets, musicians, art and choral groups, and the most important art academies in Eastern Europe.”

The festival, according to Issa, is of a competitive nature, in which an international jury awards prizes. The jury of the festival this year is a group of the most important composers, orchestra and choirs leaders, and poets, from Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Bulgaria, Georgia, Moldova, and Poland.

Issa added, “At the end of last March, we received a letter from the European Choir Association, based in Poland, stating that we had been recommended by them to participate in the Sofia Festival. They asked us to send in two recorded pieces of music by Urjwan” choir to participate in the festival competition, which was decided to be held this year on the Internet due to the health conditions that the world goes through. Therefore, we sent two songs from the Syrian heritage that we had previously recorded and filmed in the archaeological Cathedral of the Virgin Mary (Tartous Museum), they are “Al-Rozana,” and the Syriac hymn, “Aal Tarak Ito”.

He went on to say, “A few days later, we received the official invitation from the festival administration in Bulgaria, expressing their happiness and pride to host Syria for the first time at its festival.

Last Wednesday, we received another message praising the works that were sent, and expressing happiness and pride in the “brave Syrians” , according to Ms. Natalia Barabanchikova, the artistic director of the festival, who holds the title of People’s Artist of the Republic of Moldova. She wanted to congratulate us personally before the official result is announced.

Last Thursday, the result was officially announced, as we received the news of our winning in first place from the festival management in Bulgaria with these words: “Your participation in our festival was an exceptional experience, and the whole world listen to your choir and learn about the music of valiant and brave Syria”.

“We are very pleased with this great and honorable win as the first international award that the Urjwan choir receives by competing with more than 40 choirs from 16 countries around the world.  Our unspeakable happiness lies in the ability of our music and our voices to cross borders, break barriers and blockades, and reach the hearts of millions of people around the world, spreading through our new Urjwan art, joy, culture, love, and peace.” Issa concluded.

Amal Farhat