Christmas Concert Celebrates the Feast of the Nativity and Theophany in the presence of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I at the Holy See of Cilicia
Under the patronage and in the presence of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), the Catholicosate’ “Shnorhali” Choir and the “Naregatsi” Children’s Choir celebrated the Feast of the Holy Nativity and Theophany with a concert, on Saturday evening, January 3, 2026. The concert was conducted by Rev. Fr. Zaven Najarian.
The evening opened with welcoming remarks by Anna Nazarian.
The concert began with the Lord’s Prayer and continued with 17 selections, including hymns and traditional Christmas carols in various languages, accompanied by a narrative depicting the message of the Feast.
The repertoire included works arranged by Arpi Djanigyan and featured solo performances of “Ave Maria” by Haigana Mouradian, “Oror Hisus Manugin” by Arin Markarian, and “Mary, Did You Know” by guest soloist Lory Gulumian, with an additional solo performance by Christine Andekyan. Piano accompaniment was provided by Hampig Mardirossian and Kevin Solakian.
The concert concluded with a moving performance of the hymn “Khorhoort Medz” (“Great and Wondrous Mystery”), proclaiming the birth of Christ.
At the conclusion of the evening, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I offered his blessing, commending the choirs, especially the young members of the “Naregatsi” Choir, and expressing appreciation to their parents for guiding their children toward the Armenian Church and culture. His Holiness also commended the devoted service of the choir director. He noted that the concert served as a prelude to the Feast of the Holy Nativity and Theophany and prayed that the New Year may bring peace, love, happiness, and blessings to the Armenian people in Armenia and throughout the Diaspora.
This news was originally published on the Website of the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia.