Oh, My Sweet Spring

The unique music ensemble Vamos Orchestra from Crete attempts to negotiate the great feast of Christianity, the Holy Week, balancing the human suffering from the tragedy of death with the gaze always turned towards the light of the Resurrection.

In the first part of the concert, Mikis Theodorakis' Epitaphios (1958), based on poetry by Yannis Ritsos, is presented in a new orchestral arrangement. The eight poems by Ritsos set to music by Theodorakis are inspired by a photograph showing a mother mourning over the lifeless body of her child during the 1936 labour demonstrations in Thessaloniki. The second part presents Theodorakis' song cycle Mauthausen (1965), to a text by Iakovos Kambanellis, which describes the love of two prisoners in the concentration camp of the same name, where the poet was imprisoned during World War II, while the third part, entitled "Ai geneai pasai" (All generations), focuses on a passage from the Good Friday encomia, performed in an arrangement by Thanasis Papathanassiou, with the orchestra joined by Orthodox chanting in an innovative approach to the spirit of Holy Week.

Programme
Mikis Theodorakis (1925-2021)
Epitaphios, AST 112 (1958)
1. Pou petaxe t' agori mou
2. Cheili mou moskomyristo
3. Mera Magiou
4. Vasilepses, asteri mou
5. Eisoun kalos
6. Sto parathyri stekosoun
7. Nacha t' athanato nero
8. Glyke mou, esy den chathikes.
Lyrics: Yannis Ritsos

Mauthausen, AST 168 (1965)
1. Asma Asmaton
2. O Antonis
3. O drapetis
4. Otan teleiosei o polemos
5. Asma Asmaton
Lyrics: Iakovos Kambanellis

Anonymous (13th c.)
Ai geneai pasai
Extract from the Good Friday Encomia, 3rd stasis
Arrangement: Thanasis Papathanassiou

BRIEF BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES

Thanasis Papathanassiou
Born and raised in Hermione, Argolis. From a young age, he painted, played the piano, and composed music as a self-taught musician. He studied at the Department of Music Technology and Acoustics at the Technological Educational Institute of Crete in Rethymno, while also taking music theory and piano lessons with the composer Vangelis Symsiris. He studied French horn and orchestration with the conductor and horn player Rino Christ, and attended classes and seminars with significant artists such as Nikos Kypourgos, Argiro Kaparou, Stamatis Kraounakis, and others. He has composed music mainly for the theatre (over 10 plays) and, less frequently, for the cinema, from 2007 to the present, while since 2022 he has been the pianist of the EuRithy Chorus under the direction of Vasiliki Markou. Since 2013, he has been the conductor and exclusive arranger for the Vamos Orchestra, with significant collaborations with prominent artists: Ioanna Forti, Tassos Apostolou, Dimitris Maramis, Aeolos Woodwind Quintet, CHÓRES, Zacharias Karounis, and others. For over 10 years, he has been an arranger for various ensembles (chamber, orchestras, bands, choirs, etc.).

Tassos Apostolou
Greek bass, he studied voice in Athens under Frangiskos Voutsinos and in Milan under Maria-Luisa Cioni and Roberto Negri (Alexander S. Onassis Foundation scholarship). He graduated from the Department of Political Sciences of the Athens Law School (University of Athens) and the Veaki Drama School. For three years, he attended courses in acting and stage direction with Luca Ronconi at the Piccolo Teatro, Milan. Among others, he has sung at the GNO, Opera of Thessaloniki, Athens Concert Hall, Thessaloniki Concert Hall, Οdeon of Herodes Atticus, Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus, at the United Nations and Lincoln Center of New York, as well as in Italy, Germany, Qatar, Switzerland, Boston, Egypt, Cyprus, etc. He has worked with all leading Greek orchestras, such as Athens State Orchestra, Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra, Hellenic Group of Contemporary Music, Orchestra of Colours, Cyprus State Orchestra, Athens Municipality Symphony Orchestra, Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation Orchestra, etc. He has performed in concerts, as well as in world premieres and recordings of Greek composers' works. His theatre credits include leading roles in classical Greek and contemporary plays (National Theatre of Greece, Greek Art Theatre Karolos Koun, Amore Theatre, etc, in the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus, Odeon of Herodes Atticus, etc), while his cinema credits include films by Theo Angelopoulos, Maria Iliou, etc.

Vamos Orchestra
The Vamos Orchestra started in 2013 in Vamos, Crete, a village between Chania and Rethymno with a long cultural history. The initial core was a group of musicians experimenting with the timbres of the symphonic orchestra and blending that sound with various music genres. From the very beginning, their acceptance by the public was great. As time passed, the group grew, and their performances began to extend beyond the island's borders. Many notable performers, such as Ioanna Forti, Tassos Apostolou, Thodoris Voutsikakis, Maria Koti etc., as well as significant musical ensembles (CHÓRES) have collaborated over time with the Orchestra. Dimitris Maramis entrusted his musical Erotokritos to Vamos Orchestra to be adapted into a concert format and presented, in collaboration with the composer, in many places across Greece. A highlight in the journey of Vamos Orchestra was their performance at the GNO Alternative Stage in September 2022 (Mikis Theodorakis: A Trilogy), featuring bass Tassos Apostolou and mezzo-soprano Anna Koti. During 2023-24, Vamos Orchestra collaborated with the Aeolos Woodwind Quintet, Zacharias Karounis, and the principal violin of the Athens State Orchestra, Katerina Chatzinikolaou. Among their most significant moments was the concert under the light of the full moon (August 2024) at the Rokka Festival.