#muslim music

After last Thursday’s performance of Apollo’s Fire at Northwestern University, I couldn’t help but think of a line from Gertrude Stein’s poem “Lifting Belly”:

“We like a fire/and we don’t mind if it smokes.”

I think that came to mind because this “Baroque band” and its accompanying singers and guests were truly smoking in their performance. It’s hard for me to remember a concert where so much virtuoso playing and passionate performance were all on display. Anyone expecting a polite little program of Baroque music must have been taken aback by the abandon and intensity of the performances. This program totally rocked.

“O Jerusalem! Crossroads of Three Faiths” explored music from Jewish, Muslim, and Christian heritages, and the way these significantly overlapped. This was most readily demonstrated in music from the Sephardic tradition which traveled from the Middle East through Spain, and had Jewish and Christian sources. But the performer’s use of instruments like the oud and the qanun and the ney brought colors associated with the Persian musical tradition into the mix as well. 

The commitment of the performers was wonderful to see and hear. Everyone onstage threw themselves into the performance as if their lives depended on it. This included Amanda Powell (above) and Sorab Wadia, But for me, the most amazing vocal solo was a section of Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 sung by tenor Jacob Perry. The power of Mr. Perry’s voice, soaring out into the hall, was heart-stopping. I’ve never heard Monteverdi sung with such intensity. As I said at the outset, these folks were smoking!

In addition to the wonderful music presented, my warmest compliments to Apollo’s Fire director Jeannette Sorrell, for conceiving such a rich and varied program, that spoke so powerfully of the shared history and beauty of three different religious traditions that have too often shown hostility to each other. Jew, Muslim, and Christian all sang together here, and it was glorious to hear.