A commemoration of the fifth anniversary of the Christchurch Mosque attacks bringing together musical influences from New Zealand, Greek, Moroccan, Arabic, Persian, African-American, and Russian cultures.
From left, vocalist Abdelilah Rharrabti, saz player Liam Oliver, vocalist and daf player Esmail Fathi, oud player Kyriakos Tapakis, vocalist Oum and composer John Psathas at the Michael Fowler Centre in Wellington 9 March 2024 Photo: NZSO/Jono Tucker
The 15th of March 2024 marks the fifth anniversary of the Christchurch Mosque attacks. The horrific event sparked an national and international outpouring of aroha - of love - for New Zealand's Muslim communities. In response to the event, the United Nations dedicated the 15th of March as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia.
For the anniversary, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra presents 'Beyond Words', a concert seeking to reignite that bright spark of compassion across Aotearoa NZ and promote unity and peace through music.
Conducted by Fawzi Haimor, and featuring powerful Moroccan singer Oum and oud virtuoso Kyriakos Tapakis, the orchestra performs specially selected works from across the globe. There are works by Valerie Coleman, Reza Vali, Arvo Pärt, music from the Middle East and the world premiere of a new work from acclaimed New Zealand composer John Psathas in collaboration with Oum and Kyriakos Tapakis.
Related stories from RNZ:
- Moroccan singer Oum talks about being humbled and touched to be involved
- Meet some of the Christchurch performers in this concert
The programme for this concert:
VALERIE COLEMAN: Umoja - Anthem of Unity
Valerie Coleman’s Umoja opens the concert. Umoja is a Swahili word meaning ‘unity’. Originally, the work was a simple song for women’s choir, designed to evoke the tribal community feel of a drum circle. In the orchestral version, Valerie Coleman allows individual instruments to shine, but ultimately the whole orchestra comes together in joyful communion.
TRADITIONAL arr Hamish Oliver: Hasbi Rabbi / Molla Mamad
Esmail Fathi (singer & daf), Abdelilah Rharrabti (singer), Liam Oliver (saz)
Musicians from the Simurgh Music School in Christchurch joined the orchestra for a setting of traditional song originally from Afghanistan, but well-known throughout the Middle East. Music tutors Esmail Fathi and Liam Oliver founded the Simurgh Music School in 2022 and teach a wide range of traditional Persian instruments and other instruments from the Middle East and Central Asia.
Liam plays the saz, a long-necked lute instrument. Esmail is a vocalist and plays the daf, a Middle Eastern frame drum, and and they’re joined by fellow musician and singer Abdelilah Rharrabti who is a survivor of the 2019 attack on El Noor Mosque in Christchurch.
Together they perform Hasbi Rabbi / Molla Mamad Jan, sung in Arabic, Farsi and Turkish
Oum and Kyriakos Tapakis performing with the NZSO conducted by Fawzi Haimor at the Michael Fowler Centre in Wellington 9 March 2024 Photo: NZSO/Jono Tucker
OUM arranged Tom McLeod.: Daba
Oum (singer)
Moroccan singer Oum creates music that melds Arabic and Islamic influences with afrobeat, jazz, soul and gospel and tonight she merges with another musical dimension, performing the title track of her 2019 album Daba with an orchestral arrangement by NZ composer Tom McLeod.
VALI, REZA: Funèbre for Solo Violin and String Orchestra
Vesa-Matti Leppänen (vln)
In this deeply sombre piece, the Iranian-American composer combines Western orchestration with Persian style, including emotive (melismatic) embellishment of the solo violin melody.
NZSO concert master Vessa-Matti Leppanen is the soloist.
TRADITIONAL arr Kyriakos Tapakis, Tom McLeod.: Mantilatos
Kyriakos Tapakis (oud)
Mantilatos is a traditional dance in 7/8 time arranged and performed Greek/Cypriot oud virtuoso Kyriakos Tapakis and orchestraled by Tom Cleod for the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
PÄRT, ARVO: Silouan's Song
Silouan's Song by Estonian composer Arvo Pärt is a spiritual work that draws from Gregorian chant and Russian Orthodox music. It was partly inspired by a text from the Russian monk St. Silouan that includes the words: “the best thing is to surrender oneself to God and endure sorrows with hope.”
Oum performing with the NZSO conducted by Fawzi Haimor at the Michael Fowler Centre in Wellington 9 March 2024 Photo: NZSO/Jono Tucker
PSATHAS, JOHN, OUM, TAPAKIS, KYRIAKOS: Ahlan wa Sahlan
OUM (singer)
Kyriakos Tapakis (oud)
As part of the Beyond Words project, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra commissioned leading New Zealand composer John Psathas to composer a work marking the 5th anniversary of the Christchurch Mosque attacks.
Ahlan wa Sahlan was made in collaboration with Moroccan singer OUM and Greek/Cypriot oud virtuoso Kyriakos Tapakis. The title comes from the Arabic phrase of welcome.
Oum composed the text in Morrocan Arabic except for one phrase in English that we hear in the fourth of five movements.
I. Al Mahal is a welcome to a new land after a difficult journey.
“Caravans that chose to cross/Their paths meet/Peoples united by two islands/That welcome the love of freedom.”
II. Hijra means ‘migration’ or 'exodus'.
"Everyone has their own path/With all that it brings/And nobody is walking alone/Beautiful roads open to us/If we walk together."
III. Achalino is an instrumental movement for oud and orchestra.
IV. Horizons looks to the future
"The door to the future is before each of us/And unity is the only key that’s in our hands.”
V. Dhakira means ‘memory’ or ‘remembering’.
"There is still hope/There are still dreams/Our beloved ones are always on our minds/They remain/In the hearts/In memory.”
From left, NZSO Concertmaster Vesa-Matti Leppänen, saz player Liam Oliver, vocalist and daf player Esmail Fathi, vocalist Abdelilah Rharrabti, singer Oum, conductor Fawzi Haimor, oud player Kyriakos Tapakis and composer John Psathas at the Michael Fowler Centre in Wellington 9 March 2024 Photo: NZSO/Jono Tucker
