Georgians' Attempts to Revive Sacred Music

Caitlan Carroll is a freelance journalist based in Frankfurt, Germany, where she writes primarily on business and culture. Previously, she worked as producer for the radio program Marketplace. Carroll's stories have aired on NPR’s Weekend Edition, Marketplace, PRI/BBC’s The World, and Deutsche Welle. She was a 2010 Fulbright scholar in Germany, and a fellow of the Robert Bosch Foundation program for Future American Leaders in 2012.

Project Overview:

Since the third century A.D., Georgians have proudly nurtured their brand of Orthodox Christianity in the face of changing borders, war and political disorder. But one aspect of Georgian religious life was muted while under Soviet rule: the country's sacred music. Since gaining independence from Russia, scholars of Georgian sacred song have undergone painstaking attempts to revive this oral tradition.

Reporter Caitlan Carroll and photographer Andreas Reeg travel across Georgia, meeting the people responsible for the resurrection of these forgotten sounds. They discover the meaning beneath the melodies and why Georgians believe these chants are important for the future of their country.

Visit the Project:
   THE WORLD: RESCUING THE LOST SACRED SONGS OF GEORGIA

   DEUTSCHE WELLE: GEORGIANS REVIVE TADITION OF SACRED CHANTING

   SACRED CHANTING MAKE A COMEBACK AS GEORGIA'S CULTURAL HISTORY RESURFACES