Maksime Sharadze

Maksime Sharadze (1859-1908) Publisher, Cultural activist, Organizer See original 2005 publication of this article here.       Maksime Sharadze remains a relatively unknown figure to historians. Few personal artifacts, photographs, or written accounts about his private life survive.[8] He was … Read More

Trisagion Hymn – East Syriac and Georgian connections

Part III: East Syriac and Georgian Connections   Part I: Chanting Around the Throne of God (Theological and Ritual Perspectives) Part II: Musical Analysis of the Georgian Trisagion Hymn   We now return to inscriptions and art, which we surveyed … Read More

Pilimon Koridze

The transcription of West Georgian chant revolves around the efforts of one vital figure, Pilimon Koridze (1835-1911). Koridze was made a saint of the Georgian Orthodox Church on December 20th, 2011. In this article, we will touch on the musical … Read More

Georgian Easter chant – Christ is Risen!

Easter is a season for singing, and no chant is more prophetic and beloved than the short troparion, “Christ is Risen!” In the Georgian language, “Kriste aghdga!” (ქრისტე აღდგა!). For a full discussion on the musical variants of this chant, … Read More

Shen khar venakhi

The hymn shen khar venakhi is the most well known Georgian chant both within country and among the global singing community. This polyphonic chant features various glorious musical settings, and a sublime text with an attribution directly to the medieval … Read More

Ekvtime Kereselidze

Ekvtime Kereselidze (1865-1944) is a vital figure in the history of Georgian religious chant. His courageous actions in the frightening years between the assassination of Ilia Chavchavadze in 1907 and the Bolshevik terror in 1937 ensured the survival of a … Read More

Jvarsa shensa – rare variant

I’ve been excited recently to memorize a gamshvenebuli kilo version of the popular chant Jvarsa Shensa [To Your Cross We Bow Lord] that I discovered in one of Sharadze’s original publications from the 1890s. The music type was set by … Read More