‘K’ak’ali’ is a community choir based between Aberystwyth and Machynlleth that only sings three-part harmony songs from the Georgian Folk Tradition.
‘K’ak’ali’ mean walnuts, or just nuts! Walnuts are much used in Georgian dishes, and we chose the name as rather appropriate for a group who are nuts about Georgian song! Many of these singers have enjoyed singing Georgian songs for over twenty years and although most live near Aberystwyth or in outlying villages, some travel from as far as Oswestry to be part of the group.
The choir meets once a month to learn new songs and rehearse and is co-led by Joan Mills and Linda Gwillim.
Joan began learning many of these songs in 1994 directly from two renowned Georgian ethnomusicologists, Edisher Garakanidze and Josef Jordania, and Linda Gwillim has sung and taught alongside Joan for the past twenty-five years. Linda and Joan also sing with Peter Gwynne as the trio ‘Bright Field and with Liz Walmsley as ‘Samaia’, specialising in Georgian Women’s songs.’
For the present K’ak’ali is closed choir (a fixed number of participants) in order to allow the group to fully absorb and establish the repertoire they have developed, but anyone can contact us to register their interest in joining. We will be organising workshops to introduce new members to the choir in future. Everything is taught by ear and we work on developing the expressive voices of choir members through exercises and improvisations alongside teaching the songs .
