Sheram: Songs with music notation in Armenian and transliterated English lyrics

We are delighted to announce the first-ever publication of works by one of Armenia's most celebrated ashoughs, presented in transliterated English. Ashough Sheram — born Grigor Talyan in 1857 in Aleksandropol (present-day Gyumri) — was a towering figure in the Armenian bardic tradition. He adopted the name "Sheram" as his artistic identity, a fitting tribute to his gift for weaving beautiful melodies.

This volume brings together more than 100 of Sheram's songs, each accompanied by musical notation and Armenian lyrics transliterated into English. Approximately thirty of the songs also appear in full English translation for the first time, offering readers a vivid sense of Sheram's remarkable gifts as a poet of love.

The book is organized into five chapters: Love Songs, From the Sad Past, Satirical, Dances, and Appendix. The first four chapters draw on transcriptions made around 1948 by Sheram's son, the composer Vardges Talyan, supplemented by additional transcriptions from musicologist Aram Kocharyan.

The book closes with transcriptions of Sheram's most beloved songs as performed by two of his greatest interpreters, Araksya Gyulzadyan and Ofelia Hambardzumyan — a fitting tribute to the enduring legacy of his music.