For the study of a musical work, Elliot (1993) highlights the importance of its socio-cultural dimension, since every work is created by people for people. In choral music, this dimension is reinforced by the lyrics, which express emotions, describe situations, narrate events, etc. This finding justifies the increased interest of researchers in issues of connecting social context and choral practice. More specifically, studies have focused on the relationship between the repertoire taught and the socio-cultural background of the students according to the principles of Critical Pedagogy (Hill, 2021) and Culturally Responsive Teaching (Bond, 2014). Furthermore, studies suggest ways to approach the “multicultural” repertoire with respect for the cultural context of its creation (Gratto, 2010) following the more general request for decolonization of choral education (Saplan, 2022). The aforementioned studies highlight the importance of intercultural dialogue and students’ contact with representatives of the culture under study. Although these strategies mainly concern the study of music from foreign cultures or underrepresented social groups, they can be extended to any type of choral repertoire, even of a less “exotic” nature. 

The subject of this presentation is a series of educational activities that took place within the framework of a regional university choir on the occasion of two commemorative events, dedicated to (a) the Jewish community of Arta and (b) the eightieth anniversary of the massacre in Distomo. In both cases, the choir members visited sites of historical interest, spoke with local organizations and descendants of the victims, attended lectures, and honored the two communities by singing relevant repertoire. In addition, members of the choir participated in focus group discussions, which yielded qualitative data presented in this paper. The participants emphasized the importance of connecting the historical and socio-cultural context with the works they sang, which led them to “powerful” and highly emotional musical experiences, which they hold in their memory as something precious. Furthermore, the entire experience led them to critically understand the two historical events under study, as well as the collective trauma that followed them, but also to seek further information about them on their own. Finally, they emphasized the importance of these experiences in recognizing choral singing as a means of contribution to the community.

• Social musical settings
• Music education for social justice and equality
• Music and communities

Antonis Ververis was born in Athens and brought up on the island of Lesvos, Greece. He studied Musicology and Music Education at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and Sociology at the University of the Aegean. In addition, he received graduate degrees from Roehampton University, UK, and Lynchburg College, USA in Choral Education and Choral Conducting, respectively. He holds a PhD from Aristotle University where he carried out research on gender stereotypes in Music Education. His research interests also include children’s vocal development and teaching methods of traditional Greek music. Since 2018, he has been teaching in the Department of Music Studies at the University of Ioannina, Greece.