Miroir de l’Autre (Reflection of the other)

An evening of poetry and music, in homage to Mahmoud Darwish

PROGRAMME

Poetry readings marked in this colour

Mahmoud Darwish, « He is calm, and I am, too », transl. Elias Sanbar.
Bilingual reading (Arabic/French) on nay and flute improvisation.

Marcel Khalife, Ommi, « To my mother », on a poem by Mahmoud Darwish, transl. Elias Sanbar.
Arr. François Branciard, for triple choir, Takht, flute and piano.

Thierry Machuel, Amal Waqti, op. 61, I. « Ici sur les pentes des collines », on a text by Mahmoud Darwish.
Duetto II for mezzo-soprano and cornet.

Paul Verlaine, Prison, transl. Anas Alaili.
Reading in Arabic on percussion improvisation.

Gabriel Fauré, Prison, on a poem by Paul Verlaine.
Arr. Denis Rouger, for five-part choir and piano.

Thierry Machuel, Amal Waqti, op. 61, II. « Vous qui veillez ! » and III. « Debout ici. », on a text by  Mahmoud Darwish.
Duetto II for mezzo-soprano and cornet.

Mahmoud Darwish, A State of siege, transl. Elias Sanbar.
Excerpts chosen by Thierry Machuel, reading in French on oud improvisation.

Moneim Adwan, Al-Maw’id, on a poem by Mahmoud Darwish.
Arr. François Branciard for three-part choir and Takht.

Thierry Machuel, Amal Waqti, op. 61, IV. « Je ne t’aime pas ; je ne te hais pas », on a text by Mahmoud Darwish.
Duetto II for mezzo-soprano and cornet.

Henri Cazalis, Chanson triste, transl. Anas Alaili.
Reading in Arabic on qanoun improvisation.

Henri Duparc, Chanson triste, on a poem by Henri Cazalis.
Arr. Denis Rouger, for five-part choir and piano.

Mahmoud Darwish, « The Pigeons fly », transl. Elias Sanbar.
Reading in French on nay improvisation.

Patrick Lama, L’envol des colombes (The Pigeons’ flight), on a poem by Mahmoud Darwish.
Version for two equal voices, flute, and piano.

Thierry Machuel, Amal Waqti, op. 61, V. « Nos tasses de café », on a text by  Mahmoud Darwish.
Duetto II for mezzo-soprano and cornet.

Sully Prudhomme, Les berceaux, transl. Anas Alaili.
Reading in Arabic on percussion improvisation.

Gabriel Fauré, Les berceaux, on a poem by Sully Prudhomme.
Arr. Denis Rouger, for five-part choir and piano.

Naji Hakim, Tibaaq, « Counterpoint », on a poem by Mahmoud Darwish, transl. Elias Sanbar.
For triple choir, Takht, flute and piano.

PERFORMERS

Amwaj Choir of Palestine
Chœur de jeunes de l’Orchestre de Paris
Maîtrise de Trappes-en-Yvelines
Students of the Collège Joliot-Curie de Pantin
Lionel Sow, conductor
Mathilde Vittu, conductor
Edwin Baudo, conductor
Khalil Chekir, qanoun
Yousef Zayed, oud
Youssef Hbeisch, percussions
Mohamed Najem, nay
Lucie de Bayser, flute
Fanny Prandi, piano
Jean Tubéry, cornet

The Amwaj choir of Bethlehem and Hebron, Palestine

Amwaj (Arabic name for « waves ») is an educational program for children and youth established in 2015, in Bethlehem and Hebron, as an independent educational program leaning on cultural centers of the two Palestinian towns.

Led by a mixed team of French and Palestinian educators, Amwaj allows children and youth to access high quality music tuition through an intensive pedagogical program based on collective singing. Today, Amwaj counts 60 girls and boys, whose ages range from 8 to 18, from the Bethlehem region (towns, refugee camps, rural areas) and Hebron (old city and new city). In October 2019, the Amwaj pedagogical team has also began working twice a week with a group of 30 children and youth of the SOS Children’s Village – Bethlehem. 

Thanks to Amwaj’s inclusive social vision (gender equality, non-affiliation to any specific social, religious or political context) as well as to its focus on cultural exchanges and intercultural dialogue, the choir members have access to a vast music repertoire and extensive artistic partnerships. Central to the development and success of the young singers of Amwaj, is a constant exchange and dialogue with other artists and pedagogues, from within Palestine and abroad. 

Between 2018 and 2020, the choir toured three times in France to perform with major youth project ensembles (DEMOS orchestra and prestigious children and youth Choirs such as the Choeur de Jeunes de l’Orchestre de Paris and Les Petits Chanteurs de Lyon). This led to concerts in Paris (Philharmonie de Paris, Conservatoire National, Notre-Dame de Paris, UNESCO, Institut du Monde Arabe) and in different concert halls and churches in several other French cities (Lille, Saint-Omer, Lyon, Saint-Étienne, Arcueil, Aubervilliers).

The choir performs a wide range of repertoire, from Medieval music to Contemporary premieres, world music and Arabic traditional songs. It has commissioned and premiered  in France and Palestine, compositions by Naji Hakim, Patrick Lama, Dina Shilleh and Moneim Adwan.The COVID-19 emergency has led to the postponement of projects planned by Amwaj for 2020 and 2021. Those projects, now re-scheduled for 2021 and 2022, include tours in Palestine and Europe, to premiere the opera “Amal – Over the Wall” by Camille van Lunen (Amwaj commission, 2020) as well as joint residencies in Palestine with Les Petits Chanteurs de Lyon and the Choeur de Jeunes de l’Orchestre de Paris. Video documentation of those projects will be carried out in collaboration with the Sound Engineering department of the Paris Conservatoire.