Silver Sanctuary

Zedashe are an accomplished polyphonic choir from Georgia, based in the fortress city of Sighnaghi in the wine-growing area of Kakheti. It’s from this region that some of the most beautiful songs come with long drone notes and clashing harmonies. Six of the 22 songs on this album come from Kakheti, more than any other region, although Zedashe include repertoire from the length and breadth of

Georgia. From Svaneti, high up in the Caucasus mountains, are a couple of much more angular songs full of striking discords – one a warrior’s song and the other praising Queen Tamara in what is often seen as the country’s golden age in the 12th century.

The choir features seven male and female voices, which is quite unusual, as well as plucked panduri and chonguri (lutes) and other instruments. They gather a lot of their repertoire from old recordings and say in the notes that many of these songs were lost during the communist era. I don’t think that’s true, the Georgians have always proudly sung these songs and the Rustavi Choir were active and recording from 1968, although church songs were sometimes discouraged. There are several beautiful Orthodox church chants included here, including one from the spectacular David Gareja cave monastery on the Azerbaijan border. A very fine collection.