With particular success and great emotion, in a packed Herodeion, on October 10, 2024, the big concert of the Society for Hellenism and Philhellenism (SHP) and the Philhellenism Museum took place, in the presence of the political and military leadership of the country and many diplomats, to celebrate the bicentenary since the death of Lord Byron and the Philhellenes.
The event was prefaced by the president of the SHP, Mr. Constantinos Velentzas, the Minister of National Defense, Mr. Nikos Dendias, and the British Ambassador, Mr. Matthew Lodge.
The concert, the artistic direction of which was assigned to Ms. Lina Nikolakopoulou, began with recitations of poems by Lord Byron and other Greek and Philhellene poets, by herself, the author and journalist Victoria Hislop, and the professor of poetry at the University of Oxford Alicia E. Stallings.
In the first part, the ERT Contemporary Music Orchestra appeared with maestro Mr. Giorgos Aravidis who played works by the British Philhellene composer Tom Smail and songs and music by Greek composers, related to the struggle of the Greeks for freedom.
Throughout the concert, SHP displayed the portraits of 80 emblematic Philhellenes, each with the flag of their country, on the wall of Herodeion.
This was followed by the Dryades quartet, with soprano Katia Paschou and pianist Achilleas Wastor, with philhellenic songs and music that animated the philhellenic movement internationally during the period of the Greek War of Independence.
The concert closed with the Band of the Air Force with chief musician Alexandros Litsardopoulos and the Vrilissia choir with chief musician Giorgos Ziakas, with melodies by the famous Philhellene composer, Gioachino Rossini, and songs from the work Eleftheroi Poliorkmenii by Dionysios Solomos, with music by Yiannis Markopoulos and Christos Leontis, with soprano Sofia Zova and baritone Angelos Moussikas.
The SHP honors the great romantic poet and the Philhellenes with the establishment of the Philhellenism Museum, the construction of the Philhellenes Monument on Vasilissis Sofias (in front of the War Museum), which is a decision of the 4th National Assembly in Argos and the institutionalization as early as 2021 in collaboration with the Academy of Athens, of the international Lord Byron prize awarded annually to three international personalities.
The SHP and the Philhellenism Museum have organized around 20 similar events this year, which include school and sports competitions, speeches, conferences (in Athens and Cambridge), exhibitions (at the Hellenic Parliament, the Academy of Athens, the War Museum), concerts, publications, etc. in Greece, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Germany, etc.
Lord Byron’s contribution to the liberation of Greece
Lord Byron’s contribution to the liberation of Greece was crucial. His name, undoubtedly, is synonymous with Philhellenism internationally for three reasons.
First, with his emblematic work Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage, he highlighted Greece as the cradle of Western civilization, familiarized international opinion with this concept-belief and progressively led to the adoption of the demand that “Greece might still be free again!”.
Secondly, from the works of this most famous man in the world, a new romantic hero emerged, the Palikari punisher of brutality (like the Giaour). The particularly popular world-wide Byronic heroes dominated the philological salons, were adored by the public, were depicted in all forms of art, and once the Greek Revolution began, they were identified with Greek fighters, offering impetus to the development of the Philhellenic movement in Europe.
In 1823, the cause of the freedom of Greece was the last noble mission adopted by the great poet and it is on this altar that he sacrificed his life. This was his third and most important contribution to Greece, triggering an activism of unprecedented intensity and effectiveness, the constant sending of financial aid and volunteers, and a series of diplomatic and political actions which culminated in the Battle of Navarino and led, ultimately, to in the establishment of the new independent Greek state. Thus, Lord Byron justly entered the Pantheon of Greek heroes.
For information: Info@eefshp.org, 210.8094750
