The USJ Choir, under the direction of Yasmina Sabbah, presents
COLORS OF INDIA
Crossover between Indian classical music and Western choral tradition to promote peace, dialogue, and innovation!
This concert will feature unique crossover music between Indian and Western classical styles to promote peace, dialogue, and innovation! The program will include Reena Esmail’s new composition “This Love Between Us” as well as the greatest movie hits of Oscar-Winning Composer AR Rahman, re-arranged uniquely for Choir and Orchestra. The USJ Choir will perform alongside Grammy-recognized Sitarist Asad Khan and Tabla player Sahil Khan coming all the way from India.
PROGRAM:
Part 1 | Reena Esmail, This Love Between Us
This Love Between Us is a piece about unity. Its seven movements juxtapose the words of seven major religious traditions of India (Buddhism, Sikhism, Christianity, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, Jainism and Islam), and specifically how each of these traditions approaches the topic of unity, of brotherhood, of being kind to one another. The text is set simultaneously in English and in its original language. Each movement also contains a unique combination of Indian and Western classical styles, running the continuum from the Christian movement, which is rooted firmly in a baroque style, to the Zoroastrian movement, which is a Hindustani vilambit bandish. Each of the other movements live somewhere in between these two musical cultures in their techniques, styles and forms. But even more than uniting musical practices, this piece unites people from two different musical traditions: a sitar and tabla join the choir and baroque orchestra. Each of the musicians is asked to keep one hand firmly rooted in their own tradition and training, while reaching the other hand outward to greet another musical culture.
Part 2 | Greatest movie hits by Oscar-Winning Composer AR Rahman
A.R. Rahman has completed over 100 film scores since 1992. His soundtracks have sold more than 300 million copies worldwide, making him one of the best-selling recording artists of all time. He has won fourteen of India's Filmfare awards (the equivalent of the American Oscar) for his music, and his first two Academy Awards and Grammy Awards in 2008 for the music for the British movie Slumdog Millionaire which includes the song "Jai Ho". We will be performing some of his greatest movie hits, with our own unique arrangements for choir and orchestra!
Date and Time
December 20 and 21, 2023 at 8:30 PM
St. Joseph Church, Monnot
Free Admission. No tickets or reservations required.