atmocweb^{2nd edition}

Ruhi Ayangil trained and conducted Istanbul Bosphorus University Turkish Music Chorus for 8 years starting from 1973. During this time this choir showed a tremendous succes in it's numerous concerts which were held at the university concert hall, in International Istanbul Art Festivals and in the concert tours which each lasted more than a month in Holland 1974 ,and USSR 1975 Poland 1976 .Where was this succes stemming from? For the first time in Turkish Music History, a choir was attempted to be established on voice types. Altos, Metzo sopranos,Sopranos, Tenors and Baritons were standing at their proper places, regarding the colors of their voices in the choir. Up till 1973, Turkish Music choirs were founded according to the tall lenghts of the members. The women and men singers all were standing side by side in the chorus line, regarding their tall lenghts, not their voice colors! To make a good appereance for the audience! Not to achieve a musicality! Isn't it interesting? Yes, it is true! Because, in Turkish Music tradition there was not a notion of a choir in the western sense. Turkish music was performed with singers , getting together and they were singing the same tunes with out paying attention wheather their voices were soprano alto, of if their voice ranges were appropriate to sing the tunes in the piece that they were singing. These muscic groups were called "Fasıl Heyeti". To say in English "Musical Groups" .The instrumentalists acompanying them were called "Saz Heyeti", "Instrument Group" in English. Turkish Music Culture,did not have the concept of "the Choir". This concept is imported to Turkish culture with the Republic of Turkey after 1923. But as many other imported things due to the modernization efforts , only the name CHOIR is imported..The real meaning of a Choir was not understood, and it was imported just like an empty shell. For the first time at Bosphorus University, in the year 1973 , Ruhi Ayangil formed a real choir which took into regard the colors and voice ranges of human voices. Bosphorus University Choir had alto,soprano, mezzo soprano , tenor, bass, bariton seperation of voices in its body. Altough modal music was sang at the first years, these voices were used in their proper places in the choir, and the choir members were singing or stopping to sing in the unmatching parts of the song . For example, sopranos were not singing the lower notes of a modal music piece, while the Altos , Basses and Baritons were continuing the melody..This way the music started to be heard, not the whispers coming from sickened throats! Am I making sense? This was a revolution in performing Turkish Music. Then the choir started to sing polyphonic Turkish Music which is specially composed for it. Then an orchestra is formed and started to accompany this choir .A special orchestra made up of both classical Turkish Music Instruments and Western Musical Instruments. These years were the beginning of a new era in performing Turkish Music. An Interpretation concept started to be realied in the concerts of Bosphorus Universtiy orchestra and choir.This was also a new thing which Ayangil brought to Turkish music life. In one concert "Yine Bir Gülnihal "song by Dede Effendi was sang in a way, in another concert the same song was sang completely in a different way! The notes were the same , but the way of singing,the interpretation of the conductor Ayangil was completely different, and the musical taste that the audience get out was completely different. This musical interpretation was made by Ayangil, and the amateaur university student choir members were accomplisihing these performances very very succesfully. The instrumentalists, and composers of Turkish Music of that time started to visit the university.First they came as visitors, to listen to the concerts at the university..Then they started to play their instruments in front of the amateaur university chorus, then the composers started to compose new songs for this choir. Then in the news papers, articles started to be seen, which were praising the quality of these concerts, and the rational thoughts backing this activity. I remember many of the first performances of the songs of composer Selahaddin İçli was made by Bosphorus University Choir, and Mr.İçli was very very happy of the result. Poets like Hilmi Yavuz, Tuğrul Tanyol, Arslan Kaynardağ, Writers like Adalet Ağaoğlu, Alev Alatlı, Firuzan ,Conposers like Yesari Asım Arsoy, Saadettin Öktenay, Fırat Kızıltuğ, Mutlu Torun ,Ergüder Yoldaş were the close friends, supporters of this choir. They were both audience and supporters by their works, views, and critisisms. Years passed . The University added two Turkish Music lessons to it's academic curriculum. Comperative Music Theory 301, Turkish Music History 302..Many students started to take these courses. Meanwhile, Turkish Music symposiums were held at the university..The musicians and the Proffessors of the universtiy shared the same stages and they talked on the sound system of Turkish Maquam Music. Who were the participants? I remeber Nezih Uzel, Tümer Çepni, Ergüder Yoldaş, Haydar Sanal, Prof.Ömür Akyüz, Ethem Ruhi Üngör, Panayot Abacı are some of the names who were on the stage speaking frequently about Turkish Music at those times at the university. I remember Cinuçen Tanrıkorur, whom this choir made the first performances of his new compositions like "Günaydınım." Ruhi Ayangil even let him to conduct the choir in one of his visits to the Universtiy. I remember Nejdet Yaşar and Niyazi Sayın playing their tanbur and Ney and making the audience very very happy on the night which was prepared in the name of Tanburi Cemil bey..Was it the last time that they played together.? I do not remember them play again together. It was a real chance for the audience who were filling the Albert Long Hall at that time , in the year 1977. Gültekin Aydoğdu, Ankara Radio Kanun player, was conducting the Middle East Technical University at those years. We invited him and METU choir to Bosphorus Universtiy. THey gave a concert in the Albert Long Hall, and they stayed at the campus..More than 30 METU students and their conductor Gültekin Aydoğdu.They were our guests. How we found the money to bring them all the way from Ankara to IStanbul, how we persuaded the universtiy administration to do that.? These are all miracles. And other names I try to remember yes Cem Behar, he was very young at that time, a new instructor at the universtiy, he was trying to play his ney and to make progress on it he was accomponying our choir rehersals and concerts. And how can I forget Aydın Oran. The violin player of Istanbul Broadcasting Station. He was with us in many concerts and theoretical studies that we held about the value of Turkish Music as an important part of Turkish Culture .He also, accomponied our choir with his violin in many of our concerts and he supported the ideology that the members of the choir, in the light of Ayangil's explanations and directions, were trying to develop making Turkish Music in a modern way. With a new understanding. Aydın Oran came to Holland concert tour with us. And I remember Ertan Ersoylu. Again an Istanbul Radio voice artist. He was with us in our Holland concert tour. Abdi Coşkun , tanbur player of Istanbul Radio Broadcasting Station and Saadettin Öktenay, the kanun player of the same institution were with us in Holland too! He passed away now! How we all loved him.We were trying to translate the lyrics of his song" Aşkın Kanunu Yazsam Yeniden ", into English, on the bus hired by the university taking us , to Holland, and singing it in English as a joke to him,and he was happy beeing with us and with our childish games! Many outstanding musicians, musicologists, poets, writers were with us, with the Bosphorus UNiverstiy Choir members and with Ruhi Ayangil. We prepared a symposium .The subject was: The direct and indirect effects of Atatürk's revolutions on the Turkish Music. I remember Ruhi Ayangil proposed this subject, and our Proffessor Güven Alpay adviced us, the meeting should be named as a Symposium. The meeting type" Symposium" was introduced to the cultural life of Turkey for the first time .We happend to hear this word "Symposium "frequently after then in the coming years! A book was published based on the views that were released on this symposium.And this book established the foundations of PAN Publishing, which now is the only publishing house working on music area,and especially on publishing books written about Turkish Music. Alot of work was done. The university students, the Rector of that time,Prof.Abdullah Kuran , the Professors like Güven Alpay, Mustafa Dilber, Zekai Ökte put many support in this activity. I remember many many names who were with us at that time. Cinuçen Tanrıkorur, the composer and the UD player.We made the first performances of his compositions like Günaydınım Nar Çiçeğim Sevdiğim. Even , once Ruhi let him to conduct our choir . Nejdet Yaşar the Tanbur Player and Niyazi Sayın the Ney player played together on the stages of the Albert Long Hall on the night which was prepared for the name of Tanburi Cemil.. Was it the last time that they played together? I do not remember them making music together after then.THe audience who listened to them at that time were very very lucky, because the music that they made was amazing. I remember the names,Nezih Uzel, Haydar Sanal, Ethem Ruhi Üngör, Ergüder Yoldaş, Tümer Çepni,talking on the stage of Albert Long Hall and participating the symposiums on Turkish Music.Then I remember Physics Prof.Ömür Akyüz talking on the sound system of Turkish Music. Isn't it interesting? Musicians and professors were listening to each other for the first time in Turkey at Bosphorus Universtiy at that time.I am still talking about the years 1975, 76,77. Then I must add that we invited Middle East Technical University Turkish Music Choir to our universtiy.They performed a concert at Albert Long Hall. Gültekin Aydoğdu, the Kanun Player, artist of Ankara Broadcasting Station. More than 30 METU students stayed in our dorms.METU was the center of communists student activities in those years.How we could find the necessary money to bring them all the way from Ankara to IStanbul.How we could convince our university's administration to invite them in the middle of student riots at that time? I really do not know! Did I mention the name of Aydın Oran. The violin player of Istanbul Broadcasting station.He was with us in most of our studies.He accomponied our choir with his violin in many of our concerts both in Turkey and abroad. I cannot forget him, playing Tanburi Cemil Bey's Çeçen Kızı piece, with Ruhi, in Holland , on the stairs of the hotel that we were staying and how all the residents of hotel came together ,when they heard the sounds of the violin and the Kanun, and how a spontaneous concert came to life.The clapping of hands in the end of the music!! Really it was such an unforgetable memory for all of us, and I believe the auideace of that spontaneous hotel concert, did not forget it until now! They were very very happy and they did not leave the two musicians for more than an hour, sitting friendly on the stairs of the hotel, and forced them to continue playing. Ertan Ersoylu, was with us too in Holland.He sang in our choir.As a guest member. .We invited Münir Utandı,to acompany our choir in one of our university concerts. Many many important Turkish Musicians , musicologist were with us ..And many important works are produced at that time. The audience I believe never forgot the concert in 1976 in Rumeli Hisari, in International Istanbul Art Festival. If the son of Cemil Meriç, Mahmut Ali Meriç and his wife Aynur Meriç were here now, they would say :"Oh how touchy that Tekbir was sang, the Tekbir of ITRI...We can never forget it..It was unbelievable and very mystical.Pure music .. " Prof.Ümit Meriç , I believe would correct them. She was at that concert too. I remember Hilmi Yavuz, the poet, shouting :BRAVO BRAVo standing in his row among the audience...And jumping up and down! Oh those were the days..Beautifull days. Then after 1977 to 1980 The choir continued its performances, Yalçın Tura, the brilliant Composer ,who gave one of his compositions to be sang by our choir in 1975 appeared more frequently with us then. Fırat Kiziltuğ's compositions like Uyan Yarim UYan, Hikmetler, Tuyuglar were played.Mutlu Torun's instrumental pieces, Sevda Kuşu, Aynalar..How beautiful polyhphonic Turkish Music Examples were they, composed on Ruhi Ayangil's kind request. Then A Turkey Concert Tour, then Galata Mevlevihanesi concerts and many many other concers. When the year 1981 came, Ruhi Ayangil left the UNiverstiy Choir fot completing his Military Service.And as his military service was coming to an end Mr.Aydın Gün , the general artistic director of International Istanbul Art Festival, requested Ruhi Ayangil to establish a music group and present a Contemporary Turkish music concert on the stages of Int.Istanbul Festival.. Yes Aydın Gün's request put the first stone in the establishment of Ayangil Turkish Music Orchestra and Chorus. Untill now Ruhi Ayangil was performing music with Bosphorus UNiverstiy Choir, now he himself founded a choir and orchestra to his name and started to perform concerts with professional musicians . The money International Istanbul Art Festival did not be sufficiant to realize the huge project that Ruhi Ayangil prepared for that first concert, so that we worked alot to find a sponsor for this group, so that we could realize this concert. Mainly Concervatory students, Istanbul State Opera Musicians, Istanbul Broadcasting Station artists were the members of this orchestra and we were paying them for the rehersals and for the concert.Many many musicians joined this chorus and orchestra during these 20 years I will count their names one by one in the coming articles, and talk about the acomplishments of Ayangil Turkish Music Orchestra and Chorus with their participation. I will write the events occured at the backstages of these concerts..Many many things to write.Some good but many sad to remember! Many many realities which must be passed to the coming generations..These must come out to the day ligiht and take their places in the history of Turkish music. The young generation Turkish musicians must know, how now, they easily can perform their concerts in Atatürk Kültür Merkezi, or Cemal Reşit Rey Concert halls. If Ayangil did not fought for the right of beeing able to perform concerts on those stages, they would never ever be able to perform concerts today on those stages. Since those stages were forbidden to Turkish Music, and Turkish Musicians. Only western music and musicians were allowed to perform in those concert halls...It is really disgusting, but it was like that. I have to write about these restrictions which were on Turkish Music Performers..I must write about how the Turkish Music Concervatoy, which was not existing until 1977 was establihed...Many many things to talk about.. Promise,I will talk about these things on the light of my first hand witness knowledge. Write these on the pages of this web site. Would you be interested to read? Hulya Ayangil Chairwoman ATMOC

Web Haritasi