Friday, May 8, 2015

CD Review: Yeznig Zegchanian/Jason Hamacher's 'Forty Martyrs: Armenian Chants From Aleppo'

Yeznig Zegchanian/Jason Hamacher
Forty Martyrs: Armenian Chants From Aleppo
Lost Origins

Recorded in Forty Martyrs Armenian Orthodox Church in Aleppo, Syria, by Jason Hamacher, a drummer and noted fan of music from far-off places. The recording contains the solo chants of Rev. Yeznig Zegchanian without any instrumentation or additional vocals. The sub-twenty-minute recording is rather short, but it is vocally strong. The religious chants are sung in West Armenian. The remarkable aspect of the music does not pertain to the music at all; rather, the manner in which it was recorded. For example, the music was recorded in one take. The quality is strong and very resonant with the church as a backdrop. At any rate, fans of Syrian and Christian chants will love it for it's beauty and rarity, as West Armenian is rarely covered in recorded music today. ~ Matthew Forss

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