This is a first sketch that I'll flesh out later.

Glenn Knickerbocker

Friday 22 September 1995

Guy, Bill, and Glenn leave for Istanbul

Saturday 23 September 1995

Arrive in Istanbul, miss Merab Topuria, buy carpets, tour Hagia Sophia etc. briefly, fly to Trabzon, find a taxi to Sarpi

Sunday 24 September 1995

Time change! Drive to Sarpi, met by Zaza Katamadze (it's his birthday) et al., drive to Kutaisi, stay with Davit Ioseliani.

Monday 25 September 1995

Plan opening concert, see Kutaisi historical-ethnographic museum, Paliashvili house museum, invited to sing at old Catholic church next Sunday, go to concert of Verdi's Requiem

Tuesday 26 September 1995

See Kutaisi Technical Institute, Motsameta, baptismal/anniversary party in Meskheti, meet Carl, Stuart, Alan, Bertrand, and Sonya.

Wednesday 27 September 1995

Guy's birthday (and I forget who else's), sing on opening of youth festival, evening party under White Bridge

Thursday 28 September 1995

Drive to Zestaphoni, see actor Ushangi Chkhiadze's house museum, impromptu concert at music school, very loud supra

Friday 29 September 1995

See mayor, invited to next year's arts festival, back to Kutaisi, rehearse, change houses, go up to Bagrati

Saturday 30 September 1995

Motsameta again, sing with schoolchildren there, David arrives, supra at Zaza's house, Bertrand is forgotten!

Sunday 1 October 1995

Kicked out of church, invited back in by priest, get lost en route to Navenakheva caverns (where power is out), dinner with MGU group, concert at Cinema Kutaisi with Harira and Rusiko's girls' chorus

Monday 2 October 1995

Rehearse, main program on youth festival

Tuesday 3 October 1995

Rehearse with Kutaisi Ensemble, sing short set with them on youth festival, banquet at Cinema Kutaisi, Zaza's foot is horrendously swollen

Wednesday 4 October 1995

Take bus to Tbilisi with Manana but not Zaza, confusion at Orbi office getting tickets to Istanbul, party with Jemal Chkhuaseli, Gomar Sikharulidze, et al.

Thursday 5 October 1995

David and Sonya go to Mzetamze's rehearsal, Rustavi come over, Saliver and Badri drive us to airport, Zaza is there (whew!), leave for Istanbul, stop in Ankara waiting room for 5 hours, sing with smugglers

Friday 6 October 1995

Arrive in Istanbul at 1:00, find no hotel, sleep in airport, get tickets with no problem but forget to reserve car in NYC, can't sleep through The Quick and the Dead (Zaza says even without understanding the dialogue that it's the stupidest movie he's ever seen), arrive in New York, after much confusion catch Carey Bus to Grand Central and take train home

Back to Kartuli Ensemble page.