Greek Independence Day celebration resources (music)
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Dr. Ilias Chrissochoidis
Mar 9, 2026, 12:39:25 PM (4 days ago) Mar 9
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Dear list members,
This is a reminder of the availability of the following music resources for celebrating Greek Independence Day.
Greece's National Anthem (Nicolas Astrinidis' arrangement commissioned by ERT in 1991):
Rigas' "Thourios" (Astrinidis' setting excerpted from his Symphony "1821"):
Nicolas Astrinidis' choral Symphony "1821":
The most ambitious symphonic work inspired by the Greek War of Independence. The composer takes advantage of the four-part structure of the genre to create a majestic narrative starting with the "Fall" of Constantinople and, through "Slavery" and "Kleftouria"
(Scherzo), leading to the "Revolution." Aware of the problem of using the European symphonic idiom to narrate a Greek story, he draws exclusively on folk and religious texts and melodies, ranging from David's Psalms and the "Resurrection" apolytikion to Rigas'
"Thourios" and the National Anthem.
Basic presentation of the work:
Performed in its entirety only once, the work survives in a few recordings available here:
An electronic edition of the score was completed in 2018:
You are welcome to distribute the files to your local Greek community and music colleagues for study and, ideally, performance.
More on Astrinidis:
Best regards,
Ilias Chrissochoidis
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