PRESS RELEASE
June 30, 2004
Embassy of the Republic of Armenia
2225 R Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20008
Tel: 202-319-1976, x. 348; Fax: 202-319-2982
Email: armecon@speakeasy.net; Web: www.armeniaemb.org

Armenian Embassy Hosts Narek Bell Choir as Part of French Music Festival in D.C.

On June 18, 2004, the Embassy of Armenia hosted a concert by the Narek Bell Choir, held as part of the “Fete de la Musique,” the annual French Music Festival, which is hosted by Washington, DC for the second time. The concert, entitled “Christmas in June,” featured traditional French carols and Christmas songs and was dedicated to celebrating the French culture.

Narek Bell Choir of St. Mary Armenian Church in Washington, DC is the first and the only bell choir in the Armenian Church today. It was founded in 2000 under the leadership of Rev. Fr. Vertanes Kalayjian and Music Director Leon Khoja-Eynatyan. The Choir’s repertoire includes Armenian Church Hymns (Sharagans), Armenian Folk music, American Spirituals, Carols from around the world and popular songs. In its four years of existence, the ten young and talented Armenian performers of the Narek Bell Choir has successfully presented the Armenian culture at such venues as the White House, the Library of Congress, the Armenian Embassy, the Central Park in New York City, and a variety of religious venues across the United States, including NYC’s St. Vartan Cathedral.

The Embassy concert and the Fete de la Musique festival were co-hosted by the District of Columbia Commission on the Arts and Humanities. The concert featured such hits as “He Is Born, The Holy Child” and “ Once Upon a December – Paris Holds the Keys (To Your Heart).” The audience included over 100 French spiritual music aficionados from Washington, DC, including Embassy staff, Ambassador and Mrs. Michael Lemmon, Jose Dominguez from DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, and Mike Goggin from Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington.

For more information on the Narek Bell Choir, please visit www.narekbells.com