ISLAMABAD, Nov 20: The splendid performance of the 'Orfeon Chamber Choir' at the new building of the Turkish Embassy here on Friday provided one with an opportunity to learn a number of lessons.

First, the human voice was the repertory of musical instruments and it was possible to use it to produce every kind of musical sounds.

Second, the best pieces rendered at the concert came from Turkish folklore, proving the adage that true and moving music owed inspiration to the lilting dance and evocative cadence of spoken words.

The 29-member group rendered about 20 folk songs. Their performance took the audience through travelogue of far places, beginning from Turkey and moving through Argentina, Australia, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Spain and Sweden.

No musical instrument was used during the entire performance except for two occasions when the group rendered the Spanish tap dance song when wooden clappers were used to simulate the dance, and used the percussion instrument, 'Daf', in an old Anatolian Turkish folk song.

The audience was captivated by all presentations of the choir. However, two anchor pieces were splendidly done in the singing of 'Jeeway, Jeeway Pakistan' and paying tribute to the father of Turkey, Kemal Ataturk.

Turkish Ambassador Hasan Kemal Gur informed the guests that the group was invited to Pakistan on the occasion of Ataturk's death anniversary. He said men like Ataturk and Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah always would have an everlasting presence in history.

The ambassador also remembered that when the Quaid learnt of the passing away of Ataturk, he sent instructions to all units of the All-India Muslim League to mourn the death.

"Such is the bond between the two nations which has grown from strength to strength over the past years." Mr Gur felt confident that Pakistan would always stand by Turkey in every cause.

As for Einara Kerimova, the conductor of the choir, he said Turkey had hired this splendid artist from Azerbaijan but his country would never return her to the Central Asian nation - such was her great standing in Turkey.

Mr Gur informed the audience that members of the choir came from all walks of life. A number of them were physicians, child specialists and a lady held major's rank in the Turkish army.

He said the group had to undergo rigorous four-hour training each morning and required painstaking hard work to perform in the manner they have done, winning appreciation and laurels in European countries which derided Turkish choir music in the past.