“Amalgamation Choir,” an all-female choir from Cyprus performed in LondonĀ on the occasion of Commonwealth Day, March 13.
Along with other acts from countries that have evolved from the British Empire, “Amalgamation” was selected to perform at the annual Commonwealth Day service in Westminster Abbey, which was King Charles’ first as the UK’s head-of-state.
The choir from Cyprus, led by conductor and founder Vassiliki Anastasiou, sang the piece “Exile of Eros”.
“It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience performing at such a historical monument as the Westminster Abbey. The atmosphere inside the Abbey made the experience magical,” Anastasiou told in-cyprus.
The conductor also thanked the Royal Commonwealth Society which helped make their participation at the ceremony a reality and revealed that the group had the chance to meet and chat with King Charles after the event.
“We feel tremendously honoured to have been trusted by the Royal Commonwealth Society to represent Europe, to share a glimpse of our culture in such a prestigious event. We could be nothing but absolutely grateful for the invaluable support we have received by so many individuals and organisations and we would like to thank them wholeheartedly. We even had the chance to greet and talk to King Charles himself, who seemed to be very interested in the song and the meaning of its lyrics,” Anastasiou noted.
The 74-year-old king was joined for the service by his wife Camilla, the Queen Consort, his eldest son Prince William and his wife Kate, as well as by other senior members of the royal family.
“I draw great strength from her (Queen Elizabeth II) example, together with all that I have learnt from the extraordinary people I have met, throughout the Commonwealth, over so many years,” Charles told the congregation inside Westminster Abbey. “The Commonwealth has been a constant in my own life, and yet its diversity continues to amaze and inspire me.”
Earlier in the day, “Amalgamation Choir” performed at the UK Parliament.
“It was a pleasure to be joined on this special day by the Amalgamation Choir – an all-female community choir based in Cyprus,” Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the House of Commons wrote on Twitter regarding the occasion.
It was a pleasure to be joined on this special day by the Amalgamation Choir – an all-female community choir based in Cyprus. pic.twitter.com/fMXyveml0N
ā Sir Lindsay Hoyle (@CommonsSpeaker) March 13, 2023
“Amalgamation Choir” is a group of voices that performs original compositions with traditional-music influences as well as re-arranged songs from the Mediterranean and the Balkans.
It was spawned from the workshop āThe power of your voiceā by Vasiliki Anastasiou, which took place at Fengaros Music Village in 2014 and 2015.
You can watch the full performance of “Exile of Eros” at the 2023 Commonwealth Day service, starting at 28:51 in the video below:
Read more:
Cypriot ‘Amalgamation Choir’ to perform in London in King Charles’s presence
