Digital repository of Sifnian Songs and Carols

The action aims at preserving, highlighting, and reviving a specific cultural aspect of Sifnian society and identity: the poetic and musical expression of the people of Sifnos, as manifested through three specific events and expressions of social life, namely the Sifnian Traditional Feast, the Sifnian Carols and the Sifnian Carnival Dances. The preservation of the local linguistic idiom through its documentation, the provision of material for ethnographic/anthropological research for the academic and research community, and the creation of incentives for the use of the repository by young students or scholars are the specific objectives of the proposed program.

Actions to be undertaken include: a) identification and recording of songs and carols, b) recording of lyrics of songs of purely Sifnian origin, c) qualitative categorisation of songs and melodies based on style and potential dance role, d) recording of songs from the discography that have been incorporated into the Sifnian repertoire. Description of adaptations by local musicians over the decades, e) identification and digitization of rare old performances of Sifnian songs and melodies, and printed editions of songs and carols, f) historical exploration of the phenomenon of carols, g) recording of carol lyrics, h) recording of carnival dances, and i) recording of old and new verses in carnival dances and highlighting/exploring the significant role of women in folk poetry.

As part of the funded program, an archive of songs and carols (printed, digitized, and audiovisual) will be created. It will contain scanned old editions of songs or carols, photographs, old recordings, and videos from the past or present. It will serve as a repository of songs and carols (a database with a keyword search engine), as well as indicative bibliography and documentation material for educational and research use. The repository will be constantly updated and will allow external users to add their material, which will be evaluated and uploaded.

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