Lykourgos Angelopoulos and his Greek Byzantine Choir

Greek Byzantine Choir, conducted by Lykourgos Angelopoulos performs sacred Greek orthodox Byzantine chant (extract from the french documentary “Le Silence des anges - Terres et voix de l’Orient orthodoxe“, by Olivier Mille et Jean-François Colosimo, France - Belgique, 1999) Greek Byzantine Choir “The goal behind the establishment of the Greek Byzantine Choir in 1977 by Lykourgos Angelopoulos was the presentation of Byzantine music to the public. The music they produce is based on verbal and written traditions. The choir desires to continue the Byzantine tradition making it free from the influences and practices of Western music which are alien to it. During more than twenty years of its existence, the Greek Byzantine Choir gave over 700 performances in Greece and 22 times in other European, Asian, American, and African countries; those included whole-night vigils in the Monastery on Mt Sinai (1987), in Cologne (1985), in Mega Spilaion Monastery (1987), in Vatopediou Monastery on top of Mt Atos (1995), and in the Cathedral of in Salonika (1993).The choir took part in numerous international festivals. In the years 1981-91, the ensemble gave daily performances in the Epidauros Theatre. The choristers participated in the performance of Rodanon, a contemporary work by Michael Adamis. Since 1991 the Choir has given annual performances in the Athens Music Hall. The choir released a number of cassette recordings of Byzantine music and released six CDs in France. Since 1990, the ensemble has recorded the works by a great Byzantine master, Loannis Koukouzelis, realising a selection of his works in 1995. Lykourgos , the founder of the choir was born in Pyrgos in Pelopponesus in 1941, studied Byzantine music at the school of National Music guided by a great musician and musicologist, Simon Karas, at the same time studying law at Athens University. He held the post of the Protopsaltis (i.e. the lead singer) of Church in Athens. He conducts the childrens Byzantine Choir of the Athens Archdiocese where he is the Director of the Byzantine Music School of the Helias Diocese. Together with the Athens radio, Angelopoulos created programmes devoted to Byzantine music, and performed contemporary works by , , and . He is a member of Marcel Peres investigation and study group who work in France researching early western vocal music and its relationship with Byzantine music. In France, Lykourgos Angelopoulos made recordings including Byzantine, Old Roman, and Ambrosian chorale. In 1994, His Holiness, the Ecumenical Patriarch, Bartholomew I entrusted him with the function of Archon Protopsaltis (first percentor) of the Constantinople Archdiocese. He also received honours and awards from his Holiness the Patriarch of Jerusalem, the Orthodox Church of Finland, and by the Greek Diocese of Patras“.