Armenia Day 2 - Commemoration at Tsitsernakaberd

On our second day in Yerevan, we went to the Tsitsernakaberd Genocide Museum after breakfast, which is the official memorial of Armenia and commemorates the victims of the Armenian Genocide.

First, we visited the 44-meter high split obelisk, which symbolizes the division of the historical Armenian settlement area. After that, we entered a monument made up of twelve stone columns arranged in a circle around the eternal flame, representing the twelve lost provinces that are now part of Turkey.

Next, we visited the associated museum, where we were guided through the history of the genocide in two tours. This was a very moving experience, as the tour was supported by deeply unsettling images and videos. This visit made us very reflective.

The time between the museum visit and the subsequent rehearsal was spent having lunch individually.

In the afternoon, we rehearsed for 3 hours at the ALS Chamber Music House to prepare for the concert the next day. Around 4:30 PM, we also met the Little Armenian Singers for the first time to rehearse the common pieces together. We were immediately impressed by their precise, emotional, and expressive singing. It was especially admirable that they could sing the German piece “Kein schöner Land” from memory with perfect pronunciation. Particularly since we had some problems with the pronunciation and melodies of the Armenian pieces, leading to much frustration and a heavy mood. Back at the hotel, we organized ourselves into vocal groups and practiced the pieces first separately and later together again in the hotel lobby.

For dinner, we went to the restaurant “Ararat Tavern,” where we enjoyed typical Armenian food accompanied by traditional Armenian music. There, we spontaneously sang two pieces, with the South African “Kwangena Thina Bo” once again thrilling the audience.

We were able to spend the evening freely again, and many went to bed early since the first concert was scheduled for the next day.