“The sounds of ancient Armenia reinvented for the 21st century” — Tigran Mansurian
“Songs of Exile is a stunning collection of new works
by renowned Armenian/American composer John Hodian” — NAI
Based on texts by the medieval Armenian poet and priest, Mkrtich Naghash, and set to new music by John Hodian, “Songs of Exile” is a profound meditation on man’s relationship to God from the perspective of a monk forced to live in exile for many years.
East meets West, and antiquity meets modernity in this hauntingly beautiful collection of ruminations, lamentations, and incantations. The sound is earthy yet classical, identifiably Armenian but other-worldly. While philosophical, the texts were addressed to the common man of Naghash’s time and are as relevant today as they were in the 1500s.
With five female vocalists and some of Armenia’s finest instrumentalists on duduk, oud, and dhol, accompanied by a string quartet, the ensemble creates music that is part folk, part classical, and profoundly moving.
This CD comes with a beautiful book containing essays on Naghash, the poet, the ensemble, and texts of the poems in four languages (English, Armenian, German & French).
Tracks:
- Composed in Exile
- On Behalf of Ghareebs
- Lamentations for Those Who Die in a Foreign Land
- Prelude to Lamentations for the Dead
- Lamentations for the Dead
