Day: December 12, 2023
On Sunday, December 3, our very own organist Ara Dinkjian treated our congregation and guests to a lecture on “Early Recordings of Armenian Classics.” Rev. Fr. Mesrob Lakissian introduced the program, which was made possible by the Cathedral’s “Ghazarian Fund.” Following are parishioner Kevork Khrimian’s reflections on the occasion.
Armenian church hall lectures have been a mainstay of the Armenian community, probably for as long as there have been Armenian church halls. In 1973, when I was 13, three lectures on consecutive Sundays at St. Illuminator’s by the late Titans Nina Garsoïan, Vartan Gregorian and Richard Hovannisian had a profound and lasting effect on my understanding of all things Armenian and set the standard for me not just for church hall lectures, but all lectures. Dinkjian’s lecture on Sunday, which was enriching, engaging and entertaining, evoked that standard.
Dinkjian’s presentation consisted mainly of snippets of music from his vast personal collection of early Armenian recordings, along with his commentary and historic references, which provided the necessary context for fully appreciating each gem. Dinkjian began with a recording of Gomidas Vartabed performing his own “Aror Yev Dadrak” recorded in 1908 in Alexandrapol (now Gyumri). The Vartabed’s haunting voice evoked two immediate but vastly different reactions. First, listening to Gomidas almost immediately after celebrating Soorp Badarak in the sanctuary just above the hall, offered new appreciation and color to the Soorp Badarak, which we sometimes miss. Second, the fact that the recording was made in what is now Gyumri underscored the historic significance of Gyumri relative to Yerevan and all urban centers of Eastern Armenia, prior to the establishment of the First Republic and subsequent Sovietization.
A full house gathered for Ara Dinkjian’s presentation, “Early Recordings of Armenian Classics”
After several more examples from the “Old Country” recorded in the early part of the 20th century, Dinkjian turned to the New World and the genesis and development of the Armenian American sound. He devoted a considerable amount of attention to what Armenian immigrants brought from their native regions of the homeland, which interestingly consisted mostly of the westernmost provinces of Armenia, including Dikranagerd, Kharpert and Sepastia. Thankfully, technology enabled them to record and preserve their cultural inheritance and avail it to the generations that followed.
Almost immediately after arriving in the United States, individuals with varying levels of talent and expertise in music, but healthy levels of entrepreneurship, established small recording companies and began recording the songs and dance music of their native communities. Dinkjian was quick to point out the regional nature of the unique and distinct music they brought with them. Music is often influenced by neighboring cultures. This amplified the differences between cultural elements of one region of the Armenian homeland from another. The direct distance between Malatya and Shushi is close to 500 miles, a long distance in a mountainous land. This is why the Armenian American sound, which evolved from its origin in the far west of the Armenian homeland, can sound so different from what we hear in the modern Republic of Armenia. Yet, as I took away from Dinkjian’s lecture, these differences highlight our cultural wealth through its diversity, and they are not the product of assimilation and degeneration, as some may suggest.
Archdeacon Shant Kazanjian, Ara Dinkjian, Rev. Fr. Mesrob Lakissian, Alice Movsessian and Louise Kanian
The efforts that these small recording companies made to preserve and grow their musical inheritance under intense pressure to assimilate, which we no longer experience, was also striking. The companies were often named after their founders, who were typically born in western Armenia in the late 19th century and died in the U.S. in the middle of the 20th century. They seemed proud to produce and sell their products for a dollar a record, and they probably made some money along the way in this “blessed country,” as Dinkjian put it.
Finally, it was a joy to watch our more senior members of the community gleefully sing along with the songs of their youth. They appeared transformed—the word that best describes the overall experience.
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Guest Contributor
Guest contributions to the Armenian Weekly are informative articles or press releases written and submitted by members of the community.
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The consortium of the New England clergy, with their spouses, who helped organize the event
By Lalig Musserian
WATERTOWN, Mass.—Over 110 people gathered at the St. Stephen’s Armenian Church Hall to hear Rev. Dr. John Mokkosian, a licensed pastoral psychotherapist, discuss how to strengthen marriages and relationships and how to show appreciation and support to enrich and maintain a couple’s life. Using humor as a backdrop, Rev. Dr. Mokkosian shared stories of couples’ struggles and some common stress areas that cause relationship troubles. His points resonated with the attendees, and there were a lot of laughs, nods and a few sighs, too.
John Baboian providing the evening’s entertainment with his beautiful music
The key message was that marriage is a work in process, and just like anything valuable worth nurturing, your partner also needs to feel loved and cherished. In our busy lives, it is easy to feel taken for granted and sometimes neglected. Over time, these feelings will create a divide between spouses, then can grow into a bigger and bigger separation of emotions and lives unless we are paying close attention to each other emotionally and verbally.
Following the event, the organizing committee conducted a survey to gauge whether future events like this would be valuable. Overwhelmingly, the attendees encouraged more events like this at a greater frequency. While this was the third time this event was held, the organizing committee will consider increasing the frequency based on the feedback. Stay tuned for more to come!
As apostle Paul urged us in Titus 3:14, “Do good by meeting the urgent needs of others.” The Couples Ministry, led by New England Armenian clergy for parish families, organized this event. The goal of the program is to help our community and parish family couples pause and reflect on their relationships, address the challenges of their relationships, give them hope and motivate them to invest in their relationships to prevent them from withering.
Rev. Dr. Mokkosian specializes in individual, couple and family relationships and is a popular speaker on spirituality, faith development and couple’s enrichment.
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Guest contributions to the Armenian Weekly are informative articles or press releases written and submitted by members of the community.
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The AYF New York “Hyortik”, Manhattan “Moush” and ANC-NY Chapters hosted their third annual New York Vernissage fundraiser event on Saturday, December 9, 2023, from 1-5 p.m. at St. Sarkis Church in Douglaston, NY.
Although Vernissage has previously been hosted in New York City during the springtime, we fruitfully introduced our first Winter Vernissage in Queens this holiday season. With over 100 people in attendance, we continue to appreciate the cultural accomplishments of our local Armenian brands selling goods such as apparel, accessories, food, art and more. All proceeds from the event, which amounted to over $1,500, are to be donated to ARS’s Artsakh Relief Fund.
Considering our vendors’ incredible creations, some of which have been handmade by fellow Armenians, Vernissage continues to hold a special place in the AYF community’s heart. Both “Hyortik” and “Moush” members recognize how this event not only strengthens bonds in our neighborhood but also unites vendors from different states and underscores the significance of helping our fellow Armenians.
If you are interested in participating in future Vernissage events as a vendor, please contact newyork@ayf.org for more information. We look forward to hosting another successful NY Vernissage next year along with our members of the Greater New York community!
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AYF New York “Hyortik” Chapter
The AYF-YOARF New York “Hyortik” Chapter existed even before the AYF was founded in 1933 and works to unite Armenian youth and organize activities in Queens and Long Island. The chapter has a Senior and Junior chapter. The New York “Hyortik” Chapter sets out to achieve its goals and objectives throughout the year with events such as commemorating the Armenian Genocide every April 24th in NYC; fundraising for our homeland; hosting a fall festival and Christmas dinner with juniors; annual Super Bowl parties; and ski trips. The AYF-YOARF’s five pillars (athletic, cultural, educational, political, social) guide this chapter and help to keep its membership active and at the forefront of the Armenian cause at all times.
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