Somnium al Salaam - Dream of Peace
Studium Chorale, dir. Hans Leenders, with Paloma Lázaro Arteaga (Arabic alto), Rianne Wilbers (mezzosoprano), Nima Pournaghshband (Persion tenor/countertenor), Marianne Noordink (ney, recorder) and Stefan Gerritsen (electric guitar)
- Jun 13, 2025, 20:00, Maastricht, Onze Lieve Vrouwebasiliek
- Jun 15, 2025, 14:15, Amsterdam, Orgelpark
- Jun 18, 2025, 20:00, Maastricht, AZC (François de Veyestraat 6)
All too often we see different cultures clashing, which leads to a lot of misery and sadness. Yet you don’t want to stop hoping that one day we can all live together peacefully. A dream or Fata Morgana?
In this composition you hear that different cultures can play their music at the same time while the music still forms a whole.
I have tried to build a musical bridge between different cultures by combining baroque choral sounds with Latin, Iranian, Spanish, Arabic and Hebrew music. You would expect this to create an incoherent musical cacophony that doesn't make sense. But the opposite is true: a multi-colored whole was created in which everyone can play their own melody. And it all turns out to fit together in a wonderful way that creates a contemporary harmonic music that everyone can understand.
In this composition you hear that different cultures can play their music at the same time while the music still forms a whole.
I have tried to build a musical bridge between different cultures by combining baroque choral sounds with Latin, Iranian, Spanish, Arabic and Hebrew music. You would expect this to create an incoherent musical cacophony that doesn't make sense. But the opposite is true: a multi-colored whole was created in which everyone can play their own melody. And it all turns out to fit together in a wonderful way that creates a contemporary harmonic music that everyone can understand.