INTRODUCING THE MORGANS (XIV), XÈNIA MORGAN

Hi, I'm Xènia Morgan and I was born in Ιθάκη (Ithaki), Ιόνιο Πέλαγος (Ionian Sea). From a very young age I was fascinated by music and illustration. I am a tuner.

A few months ago, I discovered that the famous Welsh pirate Henry Morgan was an ancestor of mine and that I had brothers and sisters to meet. Thanks to The Grandma, an Andorran grandmother, who made every effort to locate us, today I know them all and to celebrate this meeting we decided to spend two months together travelling and reviewing our level of English because we have all decided to retire to Kingston, Jamaica, to enjoy the Morgan fortune, and English is its official language.

-What's your full name?

-My name is Eleni Papadopoulou.

-How do you spell your second surname?

-P-A-P-A-D-O-P-O-U-L-O-U

-Are you a student? What are you studying?

-No, I'm not a student. I completed my studies in music and acoustics several years ago.

-Are you working? What is your job?

-Yes, I am. I'm an instrument tuner. I tune pianos and other musical instruments to make sure they produce the correct sound and perform at their best.

-Do you like your job? Why?

-Yes, I do. I enjoy working with music and helping musicians achieve the best possible sound. Every instrument has its own character, which makes my work interesting.

-Where are you from?

-I'm from Ithaki, a small island in Greece.

-How long have you lived there?

-I lived there throughout my childhood and early adulthood. Although I travel for work, Ithaki will always be my home.

-Why are you studying English?

-I'm studying English because I often work with musicians from different countries. It also helps me read technical manuals and attend international workshops.

-How long have you been studying English?

-I've been studying English for about two months. I started learning with The Morgans and continue using it regularly in my profession.

-Tell me about your town.

-Ithaki is a beautiful Greek island with crystal-clear waters, green hills, and a rich history. It is traditionally associated with the legendary home of Odysseus.

-What music do you like?

-I enjoy classical music, jazz, and traditional Greek music. Listening to different styles of music helps me develop my ear for tuning instruments.

-Can you play any instrument?

-Yes, I can play the piano and the violin. Learning to play instruments has helped me understand how important accurate tuning is.

-Tell me about your favourite place.

-My favourite place is Vathy Harbour. I love sitting by the water, sketching the boats, and enjoying the peaceful atmosphere.

-What do you like doing in your free time?

-In my free time, I love illustration. I enjoy drawing landscapes, people, and scenes from everyday life. I also like reading, walking, and visiting art exhibitions.

-Do you practise any sport? Which?

-Yes, I do. I enjoy swimming and hiking. Living on an island gives me many opportunities to spend time outdoors.

-How did you become interested in tuning instruments?

-I became interested in it while studying music. I was fascinated by how small adjustments could completely change the quality of a sound.

-What is the most difficult part of your job?

-The most difficult part is working on very old instruments. They often require a lot of patience and careful attention.

-Why is tuning important?

-Tuning is important because even a talented musician cannot perform well if the instrument is out of tune. Good tuning improves the overall musical experience.

-How did you become interested in illustration?

-I've loved drawing since I was a child. It allows me to express my creativity and capture moments that inspire me.

-Do music and illustration influence each other in your life?

-Yes, they do. Music often inspires my drawings, and illustration helps me think creatively when solving problems in my work.

-Would you like to combine your two interests in the future?

-Yes, I would. I'd love to create illustrated books about musical instruments and the stories behind them.

-How is a normal day with The Morgans?

-We haven't got similar days. Every day is different and this is something very important because it offers to you the possibility of living fantastic experiences every day and you can enjoy them with all your heart because you know that next day you're going to put the score to zero and we're going to start again. It's a non-stopping life.

-Which is your best memory with The Morgans?

-It's difficult to choose only one. I remembered when we travelled to different places and I was drawing our adventures. I love drawing and being able to draw the family has been something very special for me.

-Which is your favourite song?

-I'm Ioanian. I love Mikis Theodorakis and Kharis Alexiu, but I will choose the poem that has made my island most famous, 'Ithaka' by Konstantinos Petru Kavafis, a poem that talks about life and death and which was recited in English by Sir Sean Connery with music composed by another legendary Greek, Evànguelos Odisseas Papathanassiu aka Vangelis.

Παντα στoν νoυ σoυ ναχεις την Ιθακη.
Τo φθασιμoν εκει ειν o πρooρισμoς σoυ.
Aλλα μη βιαζεις τo ταξειδι διoλoυ.
Καλλιτερα χρoνια πoλλα να διαρκεσει 
και γερoς πια ν'αραξεις στo νησι,
πλoυσιoς με oσα κερδισες στo δρoμo,
μη πρoσδoκωντας πλoυτη να σε δωσει η Ιθακη.
       
Η Ιθακη σ'εδωσε τ'ωραιo ταξειδι.
Χωρις αυτην δεν θα βγαινες στoν δρoμo.
Αλλα δεν εχει να σε δωσει πια.
       
Κι αν πτωχικη την βρεις, η Ιθακη δε σε γελασε.
Ετσι σoφoς πoυ εγινες, με τoση πειρα,
ηδη θα τo καταλαβες oι Ιθακες τι σημαινoυν.

 Keep Ithaka always in your mind.
Arriving there is what you’re destined for.
But don’t hurry the journey at all.
Better if it lasts for years,
so you’re old by the time you reach the island,
wealthy with all you’ve gained on the way,
not expecting Ithaka to make you rich.

Ithaka gave you the marvelous journey.
Without her you wouldn't have set out.
She has nothing left to give you now.

And if you find her poor, Ithaka won’t have fooled you.
Wise as you will have become, so full of experience,
you’ll have understood by then what these Ithakas mean.

Konstantinos Petru Kavafis

ANGELOS SIKELIANOS & THE GREEK DELPHIC FESTIVALS

Angelos Sikelianos

Today, The Grandma is relaxing at home. After these days of pandemic it is time to think about the future and evaluate the present. Dark times are coming and she has decided to read Greek poetry because nothing better than Greek culture to know better what a tragedy is.

The Grandma has chosen Άγγελος Σικελιανός, the Greek lyric poet and playwright whose incredible works include titles like Sibylla and Daedalus in Crete and who died on a day like today in 1951.

Angelos Sikelianos, in Greek Άγγελος Σικελιανός (28 March 1884-19 June 1951) was a Greek lyric poet and playwright.

His themes include Greek history, religious symbolism as well as universal harmony in poems such as The Moonstruck, Prologue to Life, Mother of God, and Delphic Utterance.

His plays include Sibylla, Daedalus in Crete, Christ in Rome, The Death of Digenis, The Dithyramb of the Rose and Asklepius. Although occasionally his grandiloquence blunts the poetic effect of his work, some of Sikelianos finer lyrics are among the best in Western literature. From 1946 until 1951, he was nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature.

More information: Ellines

Sikelianos was born in Lefkada where he spent his childhood. In 1900, he registered to the Athens Law School but never graduated.

In the course of the following years, he traveled extensively and devoted himself to poetry.

In 1907, he married the American Eva Palmer in the United States; the couple moved to Athens in 1908.

During that period, Sikelianos came in contact with Greek intellectuals, and in 1909 he published his first collection of poems, Alafroískïotos, which had an immediate impact and was recognized by critics as an important work.

He also befriended fellow writer Nikos Kazantzakis, and in 1914 they spent forty days on Mount Athos, visiting most of the monasteries there and living the life of ascetics. The following year, they embarked on a pilgrimage through Greece. The two writers were kindred spirits, but also very different in their respective views on life.

The Grandma visits Sikelianos's house, Delphi

Sikelianos was a man of the world, full of optimism, and with a steadfast faith in his abilities as a writer.

Kazantzakis was the taciturn and reclusive counterpart who was doubt-ridden, and had, as he himself admitted, a tendency to focus on the skull behind the face. Together, however, they shared the mutual concern of attempting to refine and elevate the human spirit through artistic pursuits.

In May 1927, in collaboration with his wife, Eva Palmer-Sikelianos, Sikelianos held the Delphic Festival as part of his general effort towards a revival of the Delphic Idea.

Sikelianos believed that the principles which had shaped classical civilisation, if reexamined, could offer spiritual independence and serve as a mean of communication among people.

The event consisted of athletic contests (in classical fashion, reminiscent of the Pythian Games) a concert of Byzantine music, an exhibition of folk art as well as a performance of Prometheus Bound.

The Delphic Festivals were acclaimed by critics, many of them invited to attend, and despite a lack of state assistance, they were repeated three years later. The revival was then permanently abandoned due to the excessive organization costs.

In honor of the memory of Angelos and Eva Sikelianos, the European Cultural Centre of Delphi bought and restored their house in Delphi, which is today the Museum of Delphic Festivals. Later, Eva Palmer-Sikelianos left for the United States, and Sikelianos married Anna Karamani.

More information: Angelo Sikelianos Museum

During the German occupation (1941–44), he became a source of inspiration to the Greek people, especially through his speech and poem that he recited at the funeral of the poet Kostis Palamas.

It was he who composed the letter which was spearheaded by Archbishop Damaskinos to save the lives of Greek Jews by appealing directly to the Germans. The letter was signed by many prominent Greek citizens in defense of the Jews who were being persecuted. There is no similar document of protest against Nazi occupiers during World War II that has come to light in any other European country.

In 1945 he was a founding member of the Greek-Soviet friendship union among Nikos Kazantzakis, Nicolas Kitsikis, Yanis Kordatos, Aimilios Veakis, Ilias Iliou, Patroklos Karantinos, Athanase Apartis, George Zongolopoulos and others.

Sikelianos suffered from a chronic disease for several years; he died accidentally on 19 June 1951 in Athens from inadvertently drinking Lysol after having requested Nujol a medicine. He was buried in the First Cemetery of Athens.

Sikelianos published his poetic work in three volumes in 1946 and 1947. The collection's title was Lyric Life. He left, however, several poems unpublished. In 1965 G.P. Savvides, a leading Greek philologist, started to publish the entire poetic work of Sikelianos, which finally comprised five volumes.

More information: Polysemi

With her hair closely cropped up to the nape
Like Dorian Apollo’s, the girl lay on the narrow
Pallet, keeping her limbs stiffly frozen
Within a heavy cloud she could not escape...

Angelos Sikelianos