Choirs in Georgia Gori Women's Choir - Rarely has a choir made such a profound impression, as did the Georgian Gori Women’s Choir on the jury of the International Choir Festival at Pecs in Hungary in December 1986. From the very outset the mood among the jury members was positively euphoric: “From the Gori Women’s Choir we heard choral singing of the highest standard. Its thirty women members have been excellently trained vocally and are thus able to effect a seamless transition from the gentlest piano to an incredible, breath-taking fortissimo. {...} From beginning to end the choir explored the whole dynamic range, so that, time and again, listeners found themselves utterly fascinated by all that they were hearing.” RUSTAVI Choir - Musical folklore occupies an important place in Georgian life. Song and dance was prevalent among the earliest Kartvelian (ancient Georgian) tribes. The Assyrian king Sargon (VIII century B.C.) reported, “The people of the country of Mana turned toil into joy by means of singing.” Greek historian Xenophon (IV century B.C.) indicates that secular music, specifically war and dance songs, were popular among Georgian tribes of the pagan era. While through the centuries Georgia suffered numerous occupation under foreign invaders, its people preserved their own language, script, religion, and distinctive songs and dances, the main feature of which is polyphony.