MUSIC IN THE LAND OF THREE FAITHS
A Concert by The Ivory Consort
November 1, 2005
Summary by Janet Wahl, Ph.D.
November 1, 2005, at The Unitarian Church of All Souls, the Ivory Consort presented a concert entitled Music in the Land of Three Faiths. The program presented a fascinating mosaic of songs from the Golden Age of Spain, when Jews, Muslims and Christians forged a common musical language. Ancient Arabic, Christian and Jewish melodies were brought to life on traditional instruments by the six talented musicians.
The musical forms incorporated the religious and secular content as well as the language from each of the cultures that co-existed in Andalusia from the 10 th through the 13 th Centuries. The languages of the songs ranged from Arabic to Hebrew to Latin to Ladino to Galician-Portuguese to Catalan and sometimes blended together in interesting combinations.
The instruments were authentic from the time period. The viola da gamba, rebab, psaltery, saz, vielle, oud, gittern, mandora and various percussion instruments were all used by these talented musicians. Many of the pieces included solo performances by the same versatile musicians. Some of the voices were truly unique.
The musicians are international performers, composers, teachers and producers. Jay Elfenbien, Gerard Edery, Margo Gezairlian-Grib, Yoel Ben-Simhon, Rex Benincasa, and Dennis Cinelli not only have lists of personal credentials, but share the ability to “listen” to each other’s performance and blend together to produce and improvise heavenly music. Oh, if only the politics of our respective countries could mimic the harmony of this music!
The concert was a benefit fundraiser for Seeds of Peace, an organization that is dedicated to empowering young people from regions of conflict with the leadership skills required to advance reconciliation and coexistence. Founded in 1993, the organization initially focused on Israeli, Palestinian and Egyptian teenagers. It has since expanded to include youth from South Asia, Cyprus and the Balkans. The program begins with the International Camp in Maine and continues through follow-up programming at the Seeds of Peace Center for Coexistence in Jerusalem, international youth conferences, regional workshops, educational and professional opportunities, and adult programs. Approximately 3,000 young people have already benefited from these programs.
This concert was sponsored by Artists for Humanity and the Peace Task Force of All Souls and co-sponsored by Community Church Action for Justice Committee, the Dialogue Project, and Not In Our Name Education Committee.
