Merlin Vocal Ensemble

Within the framework of Komitas Festival, from October 14 to 20, 2019 Merlin Vocal Ensemble from Switzerland had concerts at Goris Agricultural College, Ashugh Sheram Music School (Gyumri) and Sayat-Nova Music School (Yerevan). At the end of the concerts, the ensemble, together with local choirs, performed Edgar Hovhannisyan's "Erebuni-Yerevan".

After the tour, members of Merlin Vocal Ensemble shared their impressions:

"Our trip to Armenia was the opportunity both to discover this amazing country for most of the members, and also to meet people through music in giving 3 concerts, in Goris, Gyumri and Yerevan. All these 3 concerts happened well, and we were first amazed by the kindness of the people who welcomed us for these concerts. They were all happy to listen to our concerts and we had a very impressive success. In Yerevan, we had the privilege to give a concert with Little Singers of Armenia in the hall of Sayat Nova Music school, and that was the greatest moment of the tour, not only because of the artistic prestation, but also because we could share our enthusiasm with these young people who are so happy to sing and working so hard to reach this incredible artistic level which is their, and which for sure make them one of the best choirs of their kind in the world !

As we are very "amateur" singers from our part, we were impressed to have to sing before Armenian Little Singers, and in the "Nirvana" when we could sing altogether with them "Yerevan-Erebouni", the "national song" of Yerevan, which is so impressive and of which I made an adaptation for a capella male choir. But together with both choir and piano, it moved deeply all the singers and was an intense human and artistic moment: thank you for Armenia, for Little Singers and their excellent conductor M. Tigran Hekekyan to have made these moments possible !"

Pierre-Alain Beffa,

member of the male octuor "Groupe Vocal Merlin"