Karmi Church 2018 Candlelight Concert

By Peri Sualp….

Hello once again…

At the moment it’s not only the best time of the year but also the most busy time too. As you know this time of the year welcomes many events to raise money for those who are less fortunate than we are. I like to participate as much as I can but I also have school to attend as well.

Last week was extra busy for me due to my end of term exams which are very very important for my future.  I was seriously ill and I had to miss three school days one week right before the exams but I still managed to take stage at the pre-planned concert on 16th December at Karmi Church.

I am proud to announce that our Karmi Church concert went very well. Besides myself, three other great voices took part in the concert with songs and carols in the mystical candlelit Karmi Church: Soprano Katie Economidou, pianist and singer Zara Barkhoudarian, and young award winning child singer Edgar Evoyan. We all helped to raise money for the church restoration fund. I really want to thank all those who came all the way to Karmi despite the bad weather and filled the church.

I opened the concert coming down from the stairs at the back of the church with a candlelit lantern in my hand and singing the English verses of Silent Night. Edgar followed me to sing the Armenian verses of the same song, then Katie continued with the Greek verses.

The concert continued with Ave Maria from Katie, Brahm’s Wiegenlied from me and Snow from Edgar. Then Katie sang a couple of nice songs with her angelic voice. Then I sang O Mio Babbino Carro in Italian which was followed by more cheerful Italian songs O Sole Mio and Santa Lucia performed by Katie and Edgar. Zara being a voice teacher and an opera singer herself sang a different version of Ave Maria amazingly. Then we sang two songs from The Sound of Music with Edgar; My Favourite Things and Do Re Mi.

Then came the real fun Christmas songs which we sang mostly all together with the audience: Deck the Halls, Joy to the World, Christmas Tree, Jingle Bells, Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Rocking Around the Christmas Tree, Let it Snow and finally We Wish You A Merry Christmas. It was really an amazing evening for both the performers and, as we heard afterwards, for the audience.

As you may know this was a repeat of last year’s successful Christmas concert at the Karmi Church with Katie and Zara. This year Edgar joined us. Maybe each year, we will expand our team and make it an annual concert ritual for the benefit of Karmi Church.

As well as doing what I love best, singing, I really enjoy and feel proud that I am able to help people less fortunate than I am and also to raise funds to help restore a church which is a part of the heritage of Cyprus.

PS: Don’t forget to follow me on instagram @peri sualp