Church and Literary Music in Vlach-Sarai
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew honored the concert in Vlah-Sarai with his high presence
By teacher Maria Dimou
I saw you yesterday over the hills Agia Poli... goes the classic song, which President of the Vlach-Sarai Community, Mr. Vigas, reminded us tonight.
And those who were in Vlach-Sarai this afternoon, in the ruins of Panagia Paramythia, really felt the magic of this city. Under the August sky, with the sea breeze turning into a cool breeze and the sun painting the waters of the Golden Horn with golden colors, the doors of Panagia Paramythia opened to the public, and the site of the once patriarchal church was filled with people.
The large plane trees of the courtyard now cover the open church with their branches and with the rustling of their leaves accompanied the musicians who were on the stage that was set up to host the event entitled "Greek composers of ecclesiastical and literary Turkish music at the beginning of the Turkish Republic".
Religious hymns conversed with Turkish chants in words in a successive presentation that wove a musical web that spread as if from end-to-end, not only between the walls of the church, but rolled up to the shore of the Golden Horn and met the line of boats. It climbed to the top of the hill to meet Mouchli and Pammakaristos, and it flowed back to its roots as far as Djibali and St. George of the Ecumenical Throne. Once, in the mansions of the Phanariotes, the Vlachs and their gatherings were accompanied by the same sounds that resounded here tonight in Vlach-Sarai.
Fotini Asineth-Kokala with her Qunun, Nikos Andrikos with his voice and oud, Hassan Kiris with his lyre, and Erhan Bayram with his voice and tambourine sweetened the souls of the attendees and, as the Ecumenical Patriarch said, offered us a few moments of peace in the dizziness of current events.
The Ephorate Committee of the Community with its always active President, Lakis Vigas, has managed to revive this area and stimulate interest in the church that has been forgotten by many.
