Armenia Day 6 - An Excursion to Gyumri

Today's agenda included an excursion to Gyumri, the second largest city in Armenia, and a concert with the local Akneh youth choir. We set off by bus at 9 a.m., arriving there around 11:30 a.m. Upon arrival, we met Matthias Franco, our guide for the day, who took us on a tour of downtown Gyumri. He shared that there was an earthquake measuring 6.7 in Gyumri in 1988, which resulted in many fatalities, caused extensive damage, and remnants of it can still be seen today. The church there was also destroyed, rebuilt starting in 2002, and re-consecrated in 2024, and we had the opportunity to view the church from the inside. After the city tour, we made a quick stop at a supermarket to organize food for the return trip.

For lunch, we walked to a nearby restaurant where we were seated alphabetically, which was a fun change.

From there, we returned to the Gyumri Youth Centre, where we rehearsed for about an hour and a half and met the Akneh youth choir. Together, we practiced the pieces “Kein schöner Land” and “Yerevan Erebuni.” Shortly thereafter, the concert began. Gyumri's youth choir opened the event, and we were - just like with the Armenian Little Singers - thrilled by the unique sound of the Armenian pieces. We sang a selection of our pop songs such as “Viva La Vida” and “Superstition,” along with our two modern pieces with body percussion, “Apple Tree” and “Water Fountain.” We also performed our new piece “Mister Sandman” in front of an audience for the first time. Once again, “Yerevan Erebuni” was the fitting conclusion, capturing the attention of many with their phones raised.

After the concert, we returned to the hotel and spent the penultimate evening in Yerevan.