In addition to the atmosphere of the 100th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, and on the Eve of Christmas and the New Year 2013, on the afternoon of December 9th the believers of Vlora had the blessing to have with them the angelic voices of the boys of the Byzantine Choir, “St. Joan Kukuzeli” of the Orthodox Church of Albania. The choir has been established for several years and assists in the storage and transmission among the generations of Byzantine Music. Created by Archimandrite Justin Anthimiadis and now led by Mr. Theodore Peci, the choir has its tradition of giving concerts not only in Tirana, but also in other Bishoprics.With the initiative and care of The Metropolitan of Berati, Vlora and Kanina, His Grace Ignati, on Sunday December 9th, the boys’ choir came to Vlora. The concert, “We Praise Your Birth”, began at four o’clock in the afternoon. The activity was opened by the Presenter Ms. Sevastiani Qako who gave an overview of the choir and its activities throughout the years. After which the talented boys, under the direction of Mr. Theodore Peci, filled the church and the hearts of the believers with their voices. A meditative atmosphere was created and it seemed that the Church was chanting with the angels. During the concert it was announced to the believers that this year the Orthodox Church had opened for the first time a Byzantine Music School, in which students from all over Albania take part, and who are given special scholarships from the Archbishop Anastasious, and by his blessing the functioning of this school has been made possible. In addition to the many believers attending the concert, the Catholic Bishop of the South, Hil Kabashi was present.
The Bishop of Berati, Vlora and Kanina, His Grace Ignati thanked the choir for the wonderful emotions they brought to the audience, saying: “Of course, we all know that, when approaching a great religious event, our Church requires that all of us be prepared in various spiritual means. Among these means is the spiritual war, and the need to return to our self with prayer and adoration for God; the purification of ourselves with fasting, self-control and participation in the holy mysteries. Let us not miss any of these special preparations in order to purify our soul to receive God.” Then the bishop continued: “Because that which cannot be grasped by people with their minds and cannot be expressed in words, is conveyed by hymns and songs. In them are expressed the people’s great joy as well as their great grief, the miracles of the world and the revelations of God. The hymn and the songs that come from the depths of our being are our sincere and honest creation. A wise and faithful man said, “Music has all the power to express the divine mystery deeper than any theological formulation. And when the connection of the notes with the melodies are implemented in an excellent way, and it is accompanied by charismatic voices of young people prepared so brilliantly, it creates an excellent melody, a wonderful melody, which delights the ear of listeners, while the soul is filled with elation. “
At the conclusion of the Metropolitan’s address, a present with the words: “Let us glorify God and with pure souls to hope, but at the same time to try to overcome, as much as we are able, our weaknesses and shortcomings. To avoid the bad things and the evil acts, to interrupt our relationship with the sin and to walk firmly on the path of God. The joy that comes when we do so, would not be then something surprising, nor shall it constitute an unreachable desire. For each of us it would be a tangible reality, a personal experience.” After the concert participants were invited to a cocktail in the environment of the church.
Atë Spiro Bulika
