Aramaic Psalms “Beyond the Stars”

FESTIVAL OPENING CONCERT Aramaic Psalms “Beyond the Stars”

13 Holy Assyrian Fathers is what the monk-missionaries who arrived from Mesopotamia in Georgia in the 6th century for the purpose of preaching their faith were called. The church tradi-tion describes 19 missionaries who arrived, and the number 13 appears to be symbolic. In any case, the monks and their disciples established several monasteries in Georgia, all named after the Holy Assyrian Fathers.

Archimandrite Serafim Bit-Haribi is of Assyrian descent and like the aforementioned monks, he serves in Georgia, primarily at the Assyrian Orthodox Church in the village of Dzveli Kanda. At the age of 45, Serafim is reportedly one of the few priests who still conduct liturgies in Aramaic, the historical language spoken and preached in by Jesus Christ.
Serafim’s suggestive singing and the heavenly beautiful sound of his choir leave no one cold. As a result, Assyrian Orthodox prayers and psalms have left the church and monastery walls, reaching YouTube, Spotify, records and concert halls all over the world. In August, these sa-cred songs will return to their rightful place – St. Mary’s Church in Põlva, to ceremoniously open a festival that is part of the main programme of European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024, and one of the flagship events in Põlva – the Celebration of the Heavenly Grounds festival.