Biography
Maspindzeli is a choir devoted to singing songs from the ancient polyphonic tradition of Georgia. It is led by Bernard Burns.
The choir came about in 1999 in response to the growing interest in Georgian singing, which only became widely known in the west following Georgian independence in 1991, thanks to the work of leading Georgian teachers such as Joseph Jordania and the late Edisher Garakanidze.
The choir has studied with visiting Georgian teachers and choirs on many occasions, and has made a specific point of studying authentic styles of singing from various regions of Georgia. “Maspindzeli” means “host” in Georgian and the choir has sung for the London Georgian community on a number of occasions, and has six times accepted an invitation to Georgia as part of the biennial Polyphonic Symposium at the Tbilisi Conservatory of Music.
