The Archdiocesan Cathedral Choir in conjunction with the Hellenic Book Club of New York presented The Poetry & Music of Mikis Theodorakis on May 13 at Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity’s Chiotes Hall. Photo: Eleni Sakellis
NEW YORK – The Archdiocesan Cathedral Choir in conjunction with the Hellenic Book Club of New York presented The Poetry & Music of Mikis Theodorakis on May 13 at the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity-Chiotes Hall in Manhattan. The evening included some of Theodorakis’ most beloved songs, sung by members of the Archdiocesan Cathedral Choir, and featured renowned author and Theodorakis collaborator Gail Holst-Warhaft highlighting the influence of Theodorakis’ poetry on his music.
The talented vocalists from the Cathedral Choir including its director Costas Tsourakis, soprano Alexandra Skendrou, soprano Kristina Kaye, mezzo-soprano Hilary Baboukis, were accompanied by the gifted musicians Kostas Psarros on bouzouki, Megan Gould on violin, Dawn Helene on piano, and Steve Vavagiakis on percussion.
The Archdiocesan Cathedral Choir in conjunction with the Hellenic Book Club of New York presented The Poetry & Music of Mikis Theodorakis. Left to right: Gail-Holst-Warhaft, Jeannie Kouros, Soula Platis, Stacey Tzortzatos (standing), Eleni Gallidis, and Gregory Homatas. Photo: Alexandra Kavounidis
Skendrou, performing some of Theodorakis’ most moving songs, impressed the audience with her vocal range and interpretation. Baritone Tsourakis also performed with his usual artistry and skill alongside the choir members and musicians. A few member of the youth choir also joined in and charmed the audience as well.
Food and refreshments were provided for all those present and everyone was invited to sing along, adding even more of a festive quality to the evening.
Dean of the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity Rev. Fr. Nikolas Karloutsos gave the welcoming remarks and thanked everyone for their presence. He then introduced Tsourakis who also thanked all those present for their support of the Cathedral Choir.
The Archdiocesan Cathedral Choir in conjunction with the Hellenic Book Club of New York presented The Poetry & Music of Mikis Theodorakis on May 13 at Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity’s Chiotes Hall. Photo: Eleni Sakellis
Hellenic Book Club Founder and President Jeannie Kouros then introduced Gail Holst-Warhaft who offered her thoughts and insights into Theodorakis and his music. She gave brief introductions to each song and English translations of the lyrics which are, of course, from renowned Greek poets including Iakovos Kambanellis, Giorgos Seferis, and Odysseas Elytis as well as Theodorakis himself. Holst-Warhaft had collaborated with Theodorakis on the book The House with the Scorpions and shared details about the famed composer’s character and history that added another level of interest to the event. The book is a bilingual edition and highlights a fine range of poetry by Theodorakis as well as the impressive translation by Holst-Warhaft, a gifted poet in her own right, who spent years working with the composer as a musician, biographer, and translator. Holst-Warhaft left her native Australia in 1965 and moved to Greece. In the 1970s, she performed as a keyboard player with Greece’s leading composers, including Theodorakis and Dionysios Savvopoulos. She is now Adjunct Professor in the Departments of Classics, Comparative Literature and Near Eastern Studies at Cornell University. The book was also available for purchase along with other volumes by Holst-Warhaft at the conclusion of the event.
She noted that Theodorakis’ greatest contribution to Greek culture was setting Greek poetry to music and later praised the performers for their efforts.
Author and Mikis Theodorakis collaborator Gail Holst-Warhaft, seated, with Hellenic Book Club Founder and President Jeannie Kouros holding a copy of The House with the Scorpions. Photo: Eleni Sakellis
BALTIMORE, MD – Artist Eirini Linardaki shared the new Public Art Project she is working on with arts educator Sia Kyriakakos and her students at Mergenthaler Vocational Technical High School (MERVO) in Baltimore.
FALMOUTH, MA – The police in Falmouth have identified the victim in an accident involving a car plunging into the ocean on February 20, NBC10 Boston reported.
To purchase a gift subscription, please log out of your account, and purchase the subscription with a new email ID.
On April 2, 2021, we celebrated The National Herald’s 106th Anniversary. Help us maintain our independent journalism and continue serving Hellenism worldwide.
In order to deliver a more personalized, responsive, and improved experience, we use cookies to remember information about how you use this site. By Continuing to access the website, you agree that we will store data in a cookie as outlined in our Privacy Policy.
We use cookies on our site to personalize your experience, bring you the most relevant content, show you the most useful ads, and to help report any issues with our site. You can update your preferences at any time by visiting preferences. By selecting Accept, you consent to our use of cookies. To learn more about how your data is used, visit our cookie policy.
You’re reading 1 of 3 free articles this month. Get unlimited access to The National Herald. or Log In
You’ve reached your limit of free articles for this month. Get unlimited access to the best in independent Greek journalism starting as low as $1/week.