The year 2014 has brought us all together in Taucha, Germany for the 8th International Jew’s Harp Festival-Congress. The main characteristic of this IJHF was the focus on trance-aspects, since the hosting organisation was the yearly Ancient Trance Festival. The main objective for us was how to best combine the two festivals and how to satisfy our needs for Congress-activities, exhibitions and presentation of national and regional traditions. I think that of high importance for us were the “IJHS-Specials”, three concert-journeys in the church of Taucha, each consisting of 5-7 jew’s harp-performances. For many visitors of the Ancient Trance Festival this event was the most interesting one because it gave a fascinating overview on the various ethnic traditions, technical methods and artistic approaches to the jew’s harp. An outstanding impression on organizers and visitors alike made the delegation from Sakha-Yakutia; by the high quality of playing on the khomus, as well as with the beautiful costumes, the authentic rituals, the sheer number of participants from Sakha and the presence of high-positioned politicians like Mr Glushko and governmental employees, who even are outstanding khomus-players like Rimma Zhirkova and Kim Borisov. Highly appreciated by the festival-visitors were also the lectures in the school of Taucha, but I guess that the main feature of this 8th IJHF was the positive overall-atmosphere.

I hope that the participants from Sakha-Yakutia enjoyed their trip from Taucha to Kecskemet and Austria, where they gave overall four concerts, as much as did the Austrian audience, who was lucky to experience such outstanding concerts. I understand that it was not easy for the responsible persons on Yakutian as well as Austrian side to organize this journey for such a big group. I therefore would like to thank especially Nikolay Shishigin and Elena Shishigina for their efforts and commitment.

Having mentioned Nikolay Spiridonovich Shishigin, I would like to stress another important event of 2014 which is the election of the new board of the IJHS for the next period during the IJHF in Taucha. Unanimously Nikolay Spiridonovich was elected as General Secretary of the IJHS and I am happy to announce that herewith the global centre of the jew’s harp until the next IJHF will be in Yakutsk. The whole world of jew’s harp players and national associations is expecting a lot of initiatives and impulses for a further professionalization of the IJHS from you, dear Yakutian friends.

Our society is visibly growing and slowly but steadily the favorite saying of our honoured Ujbaan Ivan Egorovich Alexeev is put into reality: “the khomus is the instrument of the 21st century”.

S prazdnikom! S dnem khomusa, my dear friends! Wishing you a great day and looking forward to a successful next year which may bring us even closer to each other and raise the importance of our beloved instrument even higher.

Franz Kumpl

President IJHS