ONLINE SALES ARE NOW CLOSED, BUT TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR! WE HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!
Come join us on this full moon night for a rich selection of music from the Balkans, Ukraine, Russia, and Georgia. This concert is a fundraiser for Planina's summer 2023 group study trip to Georgia, situated at the crossroads of Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
The title for this concert comes from a wedding song from Georgia, Kakhuri maqruli, whose translation is: "As we arrive, we rejoice for the bride, beautiful as the full moon."
We will bring you a feast for the ears that will be likewise beautiful and inspiring. The program will feature a few Georgian songs, giving a taste for why we want to travel there to learn more! In addition to the wedding song, you will also hear a protective and healing invocation, a dance song that may have roots in ancient sun ritual traditions, and a medieval Georgian hymn.
In addition, we will sing Planina's usual mix of tunes from many Eastern European countries, including Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Russia, and Ukraine, as well as Ashkenazi, Laz, and Rom traditions. Songs range from quiet ballads to full-bodied, a cappella choral arrangements á Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares, and dance tunes accompanied by traditional and/or modern instruments.
Ticket Prices and Donations
The standard adult ticket price is $25. Discounts are offered for students and seniors who need a break, while a higher price, which includes your ticket plus a donation, is encouraged for anyone who is able.
Planina is a 501(c)(3) organization.Your payment up to $25 pays for your concert attendance. Any amount above $25 may qualify as a tax-deductible donation; check with your accountant. If your total donation is over $75, we will send you a statement declaring that no goods or services were provided in return for the portion over $25.
Planina is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, so donations that involve the number 35 are particularly welcome.
Questions about the concert or making a donation? Call Valerie at 303-257-5783.
Planina's Study Trip to Georgia
In a time of profound geopolitical unrest, war and chaos, we find meaning and hope in learning traditional music, and we believe in the value of bringing this music back to our audiences in Colorado.
Over the years we have made three group trips to study music in Bulgaria, the most recent one in 2018. Each time we have returned with new treasured songs, amazing memories and increased cohesion as a group.
Now we have the opportunity to journey to the ancient country of Georgia to study with teachers from three distinct regions and remote mountain villages, in communities that have preserved their musical traditions for generations. We will be bringing back a treasure in our voices, having learned from the elders in these communities.
Why Georgia? Because Georgian polyphony is beautiful, unusual, and regionally varied. Because old folkloric traditions have persisted there longer than in many European countries. Because group members who have traveled there in the past have had amazing experiences of Georgian hospitality, music and, let’s face it, food. And because we have contacts on the ground there who are lining us up to study with master singers in the capital city, Tbilisi, and travel to work with singers in other folkloric regions. Our trip organizers are from the NovaMova Institute, a Ukranian institute of language and culture studies now operating out of Georgia.
Although the in-country costs are low compared to those in some other countries we’d like to study in, they are still significant for us. And costs to travel overseas are considerable. At a time when there is so much need in the world, it is awkward to ask for funds for a venture of this nature when we ourselves have homes and enough to eat. Yet we are serious about learning traditional music and presenting it to our audiences, and we do need help to make this trip a reality.
A portion of the funds gathered here will be gifted directly to the faculty of the NovaMova institute, to help offer some relief to those forced out of Ukraine due to ongoing war. This trip has been in planning using a few short hours of electricity and internet available on a sporadic basis from Kyiv, Ukraine, since January 2023 by the founder of the NovaMova Institue, Gela Turabelidze, and their Georgian partners.. We are deeply thankful for the work of those impacted by war who have tirelessly helped put things in place while experiencing the profound limitations and consequences of war.
Planina’s journey to Georgia will provide an opportunity for NovaMova Institute to continue working even in these dramatic conditions and offer critical work opportunity to this organization.
Can't attend the concert but want to help?
If you can’t attend the concert but would like to donate to Planina’s study trip, please donate at our GoFundMe site: https://gofund.me/7196a03c. A generous donor has offered to match the first $5,000 in donations.
