7th Medieval Agia Napa Festival

The activities of the Festival will be inspired from the Medieval period, functioning as narrative and descriptive representations of everyday routine and events of the times. They will include: street theatre, theatrical play, shows with music and dances of the period, Medieval workshops, exhibitions of medieval items and more.

Program

Saturday 13/10/2012

7:30 pm: "Fairytale tale tale... The bean and chickpea!" Traveling back in time... wandering in the Middle Ages! With the parade at Makarios Avenue near the Central Square of Agia Napa, reality ties to the history and legends... A Crusader knight, accompanied by knights and princesses, our children from Agia Napa primary school, the Percussion Band BATUKINIO, stilts from the Greek Theatre Road HELIX, the German band HEYDEKRAUT, group "MEDIEVAL DRAGONS", PERFORMER'S ACADEMY OF DANCE, CYPRUS ARCHERY ASSOCIATION, knights, princesses and magic FIRE SHOW will unravel the red thread and the fairytale will begin...

8:00 pm: Commence of the 7th Agia Napa Medieval Festival and welcome speech by the Mayor of Agia Napa Antonis Tsokkos.

8:15 pm: The Byzantine Choir of the Holy Monastery of Kykkos

The Byzantine Choir of the Holy Monastery of Kykkos was founded in 1984, following a decision by the Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Kykkos, Mr. Nikiforos, and consists of 24 members. Besides numerous performances in Cyprus, the Byzantine choir after invitations has performed and participated in competitions in many other countries, such as Italy, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Poland, United States, Romania, Russia, Hungary and many others. Byzantine Choir conductor is Mr. Aristos Thoukidides. In the past Archimandrite Nektarios Paris (1984-1988), Mr. Aristos Thoukidides (1988-1989) and the late Archimandrite Dionysios Machairiotis (1989-2000) had served as choir masters.

8:30pm: The Chronicle of Cyprus by Leontios Machairas

Theatrical Workshop of the University of Cyprus

Adaptation - stage direction: Michalis Pieris
Music: Antonis Xylouris - Psarantonis
Song lyrics: Michalis Pieris
Song composition: Evagoras Karagiorgis
Set and costumes: Christos Lysiotis
Lighting: Grigoris Papageorgiou
Production manager, assistant director: Stamatia Laoumtzi

THEPAK's historical world-premiere production of the most important narrative (and potentially stage worthy) work of Medieval and Modern Cypriot literature, "Recital concerning the Sweet Land of Cyprus entitled Cronica, that is Chronicle". Written in the 15th century by a "local Romean", i.e. a native Greek Cypriot, who held a post in the Frankish administration, Machairas' Chronicle depicts a critical and eventful period of the history of Cyprus, when Crusaders, Knight Templars, Franks, Venetians, Genoise, Caracens, and Catalans vied for domination over the island.
A genuine masterpiece of Cypriot narrative literature, composed in a mixed language (a fusion of the medieval standard Modern Greek and the Greek dialect of the time), the Chronicle was not meant to be performed on stage. Its dramatisation required years of philological and archival research on behalf of Michalis Pieris.
The play received a warm, emotional and highly encouraging welcome by audiences in Cyprus and in Europe, and was hailed as "a major literary and theatrical event". Awarded at the Ithaca Festival in 1998, the Chronicle had more than 50 performances in Cyprus and abroad, and was praised internationally for its significance in strengthening the awareness of the people of Cyprus of their historical and literary heritage.

Sunday 14/10/2012

7:30 pm: Stiltwalkers of HELIX Street Theatre

8:00 pm: German group SPEILLEUTE HEYDEKRAUT - Fireshow

For 3 years, a dozen girls and boys, from the village of Fischwasser in Germany, have been playing medieval music. With bagpipes, shawms (flutes) and drums, dressed in traditional medieval costumes, they want to bring the life of medieval musicians closer.
The music is from the 12th– 15th Century.
They have arranged for Thomas Reinhold, from the group "Dagaz Kenaz" to join the group with his fireshow. Thomas started the group in 2005. Throughout the year they perform at medieval festivals, weddings, birthdays and wine festivals.

Speilleute Heydekraut

Andreas Prinz –large drum
Detlef Jacob – bagpipes, large drum
Frank Mittmann – bagpipes, oboe, large drum, bongo drum
Gabriele Pesenecker & Ilka Mittman – oboe, tambourin
Jana Kursawe – bongo drum, tambourin
Matthias Schmidt – bongodrum
Petra Putze – large drum, oboe, bongo drum, fire show
Thomas Reinhold – bongo drum, fire show

Monday 15/10/2012

8:00 pm: FIRE SHOW & German Group HEYDEKRAUT

8:15 pm: A musical act with the Drolls early music ensemble.

Despite the fact we are hundreds of years away from the medieval times, humans nature didn't change. People are still able to love, suffer, enjoy, be depressed and feel pain and happiness. That is why melodies of the distant past can get into the heart of a present day man.
Drolls' music embraces medieval court and folk dances, knight lyrics, vocals devoted to Virgin Mary and tavern songs. It is presented with relevant musical instruments and costumes turning the concert to be a real trip to Medieval times.
The band has recorded and edited eight albums.

It consists of:
Alexey Nikitin – percussion, vocal
Pavel Popov – wood wind instruments
Sergey Popov – string instruments
Igor Soloviev – mandolin, vocal
Dmitry Cherevko – block flute vocal
Anna Popova – ensemble interpreter, presenter

Tuesday 16/10/2012

8:00 pm: FIRE SHOW & German Group HEYDEKRAUT

Wednesday 17/10/2012

8:00 pm: FIRE SHOW & German Group HEYDEKRAUT

8:15 pm: "Violets and hyacinths…"

SOPHIA PAPAZOGLOU & MAKAM Ethnic Ensemble Concert

The music of the Mediterranean affinities and common musical language, internal coherence and profound organic relationship with the Byzantine music displayed on this musical encounter of six musicians from the island of Cyprus. This time, in a novel partnership with the great Greek singer Sophia Papazoglou.
The common musical roots and the path of each individual in the music make up this multifaceted musical tapestry that is expected, as in previous shows, to cripple, to rouse and enchant the listener.
Makam Ethnic Ensemble and world-class ethnic Greek singer Sophia Papazoglou, in a never-seen-before collaboration. Performing some of the best musical masterpieces of Greek mainland and islands, Pontus, Constantinople, Crete and Cyprus. A one and a half hour thrilling concert with Makam's unusual, yet unique and beautiful musical arrangings that promises an unforgetable night.

Makam:
Pantelis Ionas: oud, guitar
Petros Kouloumis: vocals, lute
Michalis Kouloumis: violin
Costas Halloumas: double bass
Euripides Dikaios: percussions
Guest star: Valter Topalov (clarinet)

Thurday 18/10/2012

8:00 pm: FIRE SHOW & German Group HEYDEKRAUT

8:15 pm: "At Karagiozis' wedding"

Shadow puppet theatre, Dancing and Singing from Greece and Cyprus
Karagiozis is a shadow puppet and fictional character. As a character, Karagiozis was established in Asia Minor during the 14th century. He was later transferred to mainland Greece, where several other characters were added. However, he remains the main character of the tales, constantly tortured by his unsatisfied love for the Pasha's daughter.
The Limassol Folklore Association's production "At Karagiozis' wedding" harmoniously combines different forms of folk art, theatre, music, singing and dancing, which will take us through a journey on the paths of our traditions. Leading us on this quest will be Karagiozis by the puppeteer Yiannis Paphios.
The story unfolds when the Pasha decides to find a husband for his daughter. Karagiozis is called in to present to her, all the aspiring grooms who arrive with their followers, from several parts of Greece. But what will the bride's final choice be?

Participants: Τhe dance group of the Limassol Folklore Association, traditional music orchestra and singers and the puppeteer Yiannis Paphios.
Conceived and directed by Constantinos Protopapas
Puppetter: Yiannis Paphios
Musicians:
Achilleas Ioannou – clarinet
Νikos Vryoni – violin, vocals
Gregoris Ioannou -lute, vocals
Anna Aristidou – percussions, vocals
Andreas Leonidou – lute,oud

Friday 19/10/2012

8:00 pm: FIRE SHOW & German Group HEYDEKRAUT

8:15 pm: Cyprus, the island of the East

Cyprus seemed to be an "isolated" island which always had strong relations with the Middle East (Syria, Lebanon, The Holy Land, Egypt, Minor Asia, and Constantinople) in the social, economic, political, cultural and religious sectors. The island being under the influence of the eastern civilisation has shaped its own idiomatic identity in the arts.
Its civilization as far as music is concerned resisted pressures through time and was recorded by the restless mystics and researchers who rescued the ancient Cypriot melodies sang by older generations.
Cyprus,with its excellent geomorphology could only have given birth and could only have inspired its popular singers and chanters by nothing more than the simple, Doric melodies, almost always in a’ and b’ sounds but also in a harmonised scale for the great joys of life such as the wedding ceremony.
Both tradition and the church shared the same melodies and rhythms. They even shared the same joys and pains, such as the pain of the crucified Lord and the crucified homeland. Similar images were also the tragic figures of the Madonna and the Cypriot mother, both mourning for their only sons.
The chanters who sing love songs and play traditional musical instruments and singers whose mourning songs musically follow the byzantine paths and the tangible materials, which accompany the music, consist of tonight's first co-existence on stage of the two pillars of our tradition, in our Island.

The choir of the Holy Metropolis of Trimithounta and the music department of the cultural club Vasilitzia will take you on a journey in a musical environment by bringing together the common features of our traditional and ecclesiastical melodies.

Saturday 20/10/2012

8:00 pm: FIRE SHOW & German Group HEYDEKRAUT

8:15 pm: "Our beloved island Crete"

Α concert with the Cretan artists Antonios Hourdakis and Costis Malaxianakis. A musical stroll from the Cretan Medieval of "Erotokritos", through the tradition of "Potetha kanei xasteria" and "Agrimia, agrimakia", up to our days, with music and songs of the well-known Cretan composer Yiannis Markopoulos, such as "Who pays the ferryman", "Ta logia kai ta hronia", "Crete mou omorfo nisi", "Proskyno ti doxa sou lae" and "Malamatenia logia". Accompanied by an 6-members band with:

Theodoros Krasides – Flute
Achilleas Ioannou – Clarinet
Evgenia Karapatakes – Cello
Antonia Tsolakis – Bass
Rodos Panagiotou – Percussion
Admitos Pitsillides – Guitar/Arrangements/Conducting