Dance and Music Reviews : Erevan Choral Society in Pasadena Program

The local Armenian community is one of the most cohesive and culturally active of the Southland’s ethnic groups. That was evident Sunday at Pasadena City College, where the Erevan Choral Society and Symphony Orchestra of Greater Boston presented a program that was reportedly sold out two months ago.

Listeners remained enthusiastic throughout the program, and few seemed to tire from the long evening. Although most audience members were seated by 7 p.m. (the announced starting time), the proceedings did not get under way until 35 minutes later. And with speeches before, after and during the program, with two encores and a 30-minute intermission, it was 11 before the musicians finally left the stage.

The program consisted of 30 songs, at best count, about half of them nationalistic songs, half of them Armenian popular songs. The Choral Society delivered most of the former; these they sang with vibrancy, rhythmic precision and clear enunciation.

Founder/director Father Oshagan Minassian and Melik Mavisakalian (from Armenia) alternated the conducting duties; both elicited expressive, energized singing.

During the pre-intermission segment, contralto Raissa Megerdichian brought style and passion to a number of popular selections (usually the choruses backed her up with wordless syllables), that sounded like an amalgam of American pop and traditional Armenian music.

After intermission, tenor Rouben Matevossian delivered several more such songs with resonance, power and considerable feeling, although his hand gestures looked artificial.

The orchestral arrangements were slick but undeniably effective and the orchestra, which traveled from Boston with the choristers (a few local free-lancers thrown in), proved first-rate.