Beirut, Lebanon

Under the patronage of His Beatitude Nerses Bedros XIX Catholicos Patriach of Cilicia for the Armenian Catholics and with the organization of the Association of the Armenian Catholic University Students, On Friday, the 20th of April, 2007, at 8:30 pm, in the “Araradian” theatre of the Armenian Catholic Association, a ceremony was held in honor of the great Armenian composer and ethnomusicologist, Gomidas Vartabed.

On behalf of the Armenian Catholic University Students, Miss Maral Ateshian said in the opening speech that Gomidas left an enormous spiritual wealth to the Armenian people, stating that the perpetuity of a nation exists in the heritage transmitted to it by its forefathers.

After he opening speech, a slide show under the title of “Gomidas the Founder of Armenian Music” was shown, through which the audience was introduced to his life and work.

After the slideshow, The “Arakelots” men’s choir led by Krikor Alozian interpreted segments from the Gomidasian Mass.

The speaker of the day, Mr. Barkev Taslakian, talked about the great talent of Gomidas as a musicologist. He said that one can know Gomidas only through singing his songs cause it is through them that he has preserved the Armenian traditions and the Armenian language.

Mr. Taslakian explained that Gomidas showed to the world that his music was ethnic and not international.

The “Fahya” choir of Tripoli performed three songs from Gomidas introducing to the audience the great richness of Gomidas’s music.

At the end of the ceremony His Beatitude was invited to give the closing speech. He said “We evoke the memory of our victims not as an act of tradition alone or as a historical fact, but it is because we live their vow and alliance and we remain faithful to their creed”.

At the end of His message, His Beatitude called the audience to follow the path of Gomidas and our martyrs.