December 1, 1955
TRIKALA CHOIR: (From a music critique by Minos Dounias): I gladly sacrificed attending a Tchaikovsky concert for a performance of the Trikala Choir at the Pallas Theater that was taking place at the same time. The samples of artistic work which this splendid group presented to the Athenian public belong to the unexpected advantages of our country that surprise and move the soul. One hundred and fifty uniformed young people and children started off from Trikala, under the direction of an admirable lady, Terpsichori Vovolini-Papastephanou, to present their splendid work in the capital. They sing a cappella Renaissance pieces (Lasso, Palestrina and more) as well as works by classical, romantic and Greek composers. Beyond the artistic success, the lessons to be drawn from the superb work of the music-loving Trikaliots are two: First, they reminded 2 million Athenians that they do not have a choir of their own worth mentioning. Second, they set the example for other provincial towns, showing what can be achieved from scratch when there is the enthusiasm and an outstanding teacher willing to train the choir.
