Resources - Voices of the Ancestors Podcast support by buying us a Ko-fi!

In this section are gathered together resources we have found helpful in our exploration of Georgian polyphonic songs, and the women who sing them. If you would like your resources or ensemble to be featured here please contact us.

Conferences and Workshops

Musical Guest Houses, Tours and Teachers

Georgian Singing Tours in 2025

Where to See Georgian Folk Dance, Polyphony & Live Music in Tbilisi?

Books – song books, recipe books.

Films

Podcasts related to Georgia

Folk Related Organisations

Female & Mixed Ensembles in Georgia

Places to Sing Georgian Songs in Tbilisi (or online).

Choirs: UK

Choirs: France ; Finland ; Netherlands ; Belgium

Conferences and Workshops

Georgian Supra Songs – Presentation and Workshop

Saturday 19th May 2-5pm

Presentation:

Learn about the Georgian Supra (feast) from Susan and Holly, hosts of ‘Voices of the Ancestors’ podcast.

Followed by

Singing workshop:

Learn 1 or 2 polyphonic georgian songs suitable for singing during a supra. Led by Holly Taylor-Zuntz. Holly is a singing leader specialising in community music and harmony songs from the country of Georgia, where she spent many years living and learning about folk music. Holly trained as a Natural Voice leader and enjoys combining mindfulness techniques and somatic exercises into her practice, using the whole body as an instrument.

Singing level:

This workshop is open to those who can hold a tune while singing with others. No previous experience of Georgian music is required, and you do not need to be able to read music. Learning will be ‘by ear’ without sheet music. If you already know many Georgian songs, this workshop offers a new perspective on them.

NOTE: This event is intended as an introduction to the art of Supra. It is NOT an actual supra feast. There will not be wine and food! But there will be tea and coffee provided.

Ticket pricing: Concessions and on the Door
If you need a concession, please contact Susan Thompson by email to arrange this: voicesofancestors@gmail.com.
Ticket prices should not be a barrier to access.

There will be some tickets on the door, priced at £27.00.

https://buytickets.at/voicesoftheancestors/1644478

Can I park at Yarwell Village Hall?

Parking is limited at the hall. There is on-street parking.

Location

Yarwell Village Hall, PE8 6PR, UK

We are completely independent. This podcast is literally just Holly and Susan making something we are passionate about together. So every individual donation is seen by us and felt by us and really appreciated. Thank you so much.

Patreon is one of the best ways to support independent artists for a monthly or annual subscription.

Musical Guest Houses, Tours and Teachers …

Disclaimer: We do not endorse the offerings in this list. We do want to share the wide variety of possibilities for musical visitors to Georgia. Things change – please contact the organisers directly to find out the current situation.

Georgian singing tours in 2025

Workshop of Folklorist, Choir-Master and singer Tornike Skhiereli – “Georgian Traditional Culture in Racha”

June 13-19/20-26 : July 11-17/18-24 : August 1-7/15-21 : September 5-11/19-25 : October 10-16/17-23

Venue: Oni City, Family Hotel – Folklore House

Workshop Leader: Tornike Skhiereli

7 days, meetings with traditional singers in villages in Racha and the opportunity to sing with them. Meetings with “Dziriani” folk ensemble.

Price: 1150 euros (full board)

Contact: info@folkhouse.ge tornikeskhiereli@gmail.com

Joyous Host Georgian Folk Camp August 4th-17th 2025

Venue: 1 week in the high Mountains of Racha and a second week in Guria! The Centre of polyphony.

Price: € 1800

Feel free to contact gpolyphony@gmail.com if you want to book a spot.

Village Harmony Georgia Camp 2025, August 3rd -17th

Venue: Sighnaghi, Republic of Georgia
Leaders: Ketevan Mindorashvili – Zedashe Ensemble, members of Zedashe Ensemble & Sinead O’Mahoney
Price: $2400, shared accommodations; $2550 double room; $2900 for single room

The 15-day long camp is based in Sighnaghi, Kakheti, a historic walled hill-town with a breathtaking view of the Alazani Valley and the Caucasus Mountains about 1-1/2 hours’ drive east of Tbilisi, Georgia’s capital. This will be Village Harmony’s 21st singing workshop in Caucasus Georgia.

Georgia Singing Tour — Find your Voice – 15 – 24 August 2025 or 29 August – 6 September 202 5

Holly is co-leading a 9-day adventure through the mountains of Western Georgia with Swan from the Institute of Devotional Arts.

Embark on a 9-day journey to uncover your voice and experience Georgia’s mesmerizing music, authentic culture, and breathtaking natural beauty.

Georgian Music Workshop Leaders: Nino Naneishvili – Ialoni; Chamgeliani Sisters; Avtandil Turkia; The Turmanidze Family

Price: € 1998.00

For details and booking:

https://www.devotionalarts.org/events/georgia-singing-tour-august-september-2025

Journey to the Source of Songs: Georgia

4-12 September 2025

Venue: Kutaisi, Merisi

Georgian Music Workshop Leaders: Turmanidze Family, Zurab Tskrialashvili, Lolita Surmanidze
Organizers: Olga Lidia Kozłowska, Justyna Dziuma

9 days singing with Georgian masters in traditional homestays

Learning by ear, just as Georgian songs have been passed down for generations

Immersing in local culture, from folk stories to home-cooked meals

Exploring breathtaking landscapes—waterfalls, rivers, mountains

Balancing music with rest, nature walks, and a cooking lesson with a Georgian mom

Price: € 1490

Culture Tours

Christian Orthodox Tour 19-26 July 2025

For more information contact: natalijaclenova@gmail.com

Village Life Travel, Co-founded by Sandro Natadze Philosopher, Member of Traditional Georgian polyphony choir – Adilei and Tina Nadareishvili, Peace Ambassador, Member of Georgian Association of Guides.

John Graham Choir Tours, offer top quality logistics and concert promotion for choirs wishing to tour in Georgia by private request.

Guest house Moqvare, Merisi, Ajara – Turmanidze family

Keti’s House, Shilda, Kakheti. Keti and Bachana (singer with the Shilda Ensemble) are happy to host everyone who needs rest from the city, with music and good company.

Folk House, Zugdidi – Besiki Tshitanava

Nanila Guest House Lenjeri Svaneti, family Pilpani

Georgian Folk Singing Tours and Workshops (Facebook Group) Levan Bitarovi (singer with Adilei)

Creatour Georgia 7 day cultural tour of Western Georgia. Offer group tour (30 people) includes accommodation, guide, activities, meals, programs, ground transport.

Where to See Georgian Folk Dance, Polyphony & Live Music in Tbilisi?

Wander Lush website

As Emily Lush says on the Wander Lush website “The capital is not necessarily the best place to see such performances”. Check out Wander Lush for ideas on where to find live music and dance.

Tbilisi podcast

Megsy and Tom, on the Tbilisi podcast, have an introductory episode on the history of Georgian Polyphonic singing. They mention places in and near Tbilisi where folk singing and dancing can be found.

Folklore State Centre

The Folklore State Centre has an E-magazine called “Georgian Folklore” with a news section. The facebook events page of the Folklore Centre is also worth keeping an eye on. Events are often posted only a couple of days in advance. Anzor Erkomaishvili’s Folklore State Centre, 65 Davit Aghmashenebeli Ave, Tbilisi.

Bulletin of the International Research Center for Traditional Polyphony

New volumes of the Bulletin are uploaded in January and June at the Centre’s Web Site www.polyphony.ge. Mostly full of really interesting information about past events.

Gratitude

Susan and Holly give thanks, appreciation and gratitude to the team at IRCTP for their dedication to the study of Traditional Georgian Polyphony. (And for hosting the podcast launch in October 2020 and Series 2 launch in 2022.)

International Research Centre for Traditional Polyphony Tbilisi, Georgia. Current information from the IRCTP can be found on their Facebook page and YouTube. International Symposium on Traditional Polyphony.

Resources: Books

99 Georgian Songs A collection of traditional folk, church and urban songs from Georgia. Introduced by Edisher Garakanidze. Song notes and translations by Joseph Jordania. Edited by Joan Mills at the Centre for Performance Research assisted by colleagues, friends and family members of Edisher Garakanidze. Listen to Joan Mills in Episode 7.

The Georgian Feast: The Vibrant Culture and Savory Food of the Republic of Georgia by Dara Goldstein. Mentioned in Episode 7 with Joan Mills.

Songbook Georgia / Liederbuch Georgien: Georgia’s World Cultural Heritage / Georgiens Weltkulturerbe by Tamar Buadze (Author), Imke McMurtrie (Author). This Songbook of Georgia, which focuses on the female repetoire of traditional songs, is the product of two singers and music ethnologists who have been working together for many years: Tamar Buadze (Georgia) and Imke McMurtrie (Germany).

Svan Folk Songs Collection of Sheet Music with 2 audio CD’s for Self-Study.

The recordings were made in the 1980s in the Voice Recording Studio “Melodia”, and this unique phonoarchive was donated by Anzor Erkomaishvili to the Georgian Chant Foundation.

The publication was non-profit and it is available in electronic form, from the Georgian Chanting Foundation.

Acharan Folk Songs Collection of Sheet Music with audio CD for Self-Study.

Songs are performed by the Moqvare and Elesa ensembles from the Keda municipality.

The publication was non-profit and it is available in electronic form, from the Georgian Chanting Foundation.

Musics Lost and Found

Song Collectors and the Life and Death of Folk Tradition

by Michael Church

This ground-breaking book is the first-ever study of the role played in musical history by song collectors. This is the first-ever book about song collectors, music’s unsung heroes.

Michael Church suggests we may be seeing folk music’s ‘end of history’. Old forms are dying as the conditions for their survival – or replacement – disappear; the death of villages means the death of village musical culture.

Resources: Films

Wie Luft zum Atmen The documentary discovers the musicality of Georgia and presents its significance for this country. For it is in the lost and rediscovered songs and dances that Georgians preserve their very own identity and strength. Mentioned by Jen Morris (Like Air to Breath) in Episode 12a. Singing Landscapes – From Georgia to the Balkans.

Resources: Podcasts

Tbilisi Podcast – A podcast about life and travel in Tbilisi & Georgia. The Tbilisi podcast is a weekly show that dives in and answers all the questions you might have about visiting Tbilisi as a tourist. 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐲: 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐬:

Resources: Websites for Folk Related Organisations, Festivals and Places

Art Gene Festival annual festival in Tbilisi and the regions. Art Gene Group NGO “Union of Art Gene”, whose main aim is to promote Georgia’s traditional folk culture.

Folklore Centre on ფოლკლორის ცენტრი

Folklore Centre on Audiomack

Folk Center Hall ფოლკლორის ცენტრის დარბაზი Performance & event venue, Tbilisi.

GeorgianChant.org a face book group devoted to Georgian Chant, a Resource for the Study of Georgian Liturgical Music.

Georgian Chant a website resource for the study and performance of Georgian Orthodox liturgical chant.

Georgian Harmony Association – UK acts as a publicity and umbrella organisation for Georgian singing events.

SeismoSoundScape-Lab

Computational Ethnomusicology

Multi-Media Recordings Of Traditional Georgian Vocal Music With Focus On Svaneti

There is much to explore from this website following the work of Scherbaum, F. & N. Mzhavanadze, N.

Ts’utisopeli A project dedicated to the conservation and dissemination of songs from villages in Eastern Georgia. You are invited to explore over 70 musician profiles and 400 songs on this site.

State Museum of Georgian Folk Music and Musical Instruments