My dear friends,
Throughout the years the character of letters and thoughts has expressed the point of view that the value of the Homeric epics in the ancient Greek world is as important as the value of our folk songs in today’s Greece.
And this point of view is true. Because it is without any doubt a fact that our nation in times of difficulties and slow progress expressed itself in the most colorful way with folk songs about unrevealed thoughts, hopes, dreams, joys but also grief, pain and desire.
Although we have changed our habits and our way of life through the years, today our folk songs still serve us and carry out actual national work. For this reason the Research Association of Pelion not only strives to preserve our traditional songs, but also passes these songs with pride to a next generation.
This double CD presents wedding songs of almost all regions of Greece and of the memorable homelands of the east. It was recorded after the Council of the Association accepted my proposal with great pleasure.
The variety in hymns and musical rhythms of each region made the recording of the CD a big challenge. However with lots of devotion and good artistic spirit I believe we achieved a very good result.
I would like to thank the Chairman of the Association, Mrs. Giota Solidaki, as well as the entire administrative Council for the realization of this musical work.
Many thanks to all members of our traditional chorus, who dedicated uncountable hours for song-rehearsals and for the recording in the studio of Mr. Giorgos Zagoris in Volos, who I also thank for a most excellent collaboration.
Furthermore thanks to the excellent musicians that surrounded our chorus and gave their better self in order to succeed in the best acoustic result. Their names are mentioned on the CD.
Many thanks in particularly to my dear friend, respected writer, folklorist and historian Mr. Kostas Liapis, for the willing acceptance to contribute to our work by writing the texts on the wedding events through Greece, but also for taking over the administration of the printed edition.
Also thanks to all people that offered assistance and took care of the members of the Association, and to those who offered photographic material for the enrichment of the booklet.
Finally many thanks to the chairman of EKPOL Mr. Pantelis Mastrogiannis, for the financial support and also everybody who helped financially.
The creation of this CD reveals a different style and rhythm in each song, of a different Greek region with its own unique beauty and charm. Its biggest treasure is the cultural inheritance that makes us all proud.
For all the above reasons this CD has a unique value, perhaps even as ‘collector’s item’.
Chorus teacher,
Mr. Giannis Mpakalexis
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