An article by Khalil Al Ali on “Al Jadeed Al Arabi” website from year 2015:
Choir singing has been known for centuries, but it has historically been based on recitations of religious chants, and has evolved with the days to enter theaters.
On the other hand, the lyrical choral art spread in the world without musical instruments, and was not known in the Arab world.
But, Maestro Barkev Taslakian, of Armenian origin, founded the “Fayha Choir” in 2003 in Tripoli (North Lebanon), which is called “Fayha” due to the scent of lemons in it during the flowering seasons.
In the "Warsaw Festival", one of the most important choir festivals in the world, Fayha Choir also won two awards at once in 2007, the award for the best group at the festival, and another award won by Taslakian as the best maestro.
Fayha Choir consists of about forty young men and boys belonging to different groups, religions and Lebanese regions. It also includes Palestinians residing in Lebanon, especially in the camps located in northern Lebanon.
They sing in their own way the Arab, Lebanese, Iraqi, Palestinian, Syrian, Egyptian and even Armenian heritage.
It is their human throats that play music, perform words, and make rhythm, and this method is called "acapella" as it was carried by the Armenian immigrants to Lebanon, and Taslakian grew up on it, but he brought it out in a new style.
The band sings Andalusians, Qudoud Halabeya, Al Rahbani, Sayed Darwish, Zaki Nassif and all that is traditional Arabic, but with a new and distinguished arrangement by Dr. Edward Torkian, who has extensive experience in collective singing.
