Time in Syria

I'm lost in the beauty of a piece of music I'm listening to at the moment - Siwan by Jon Balke. This is a suite of (mainly) songs inspired by looking back at the great flowering across cultures, religions, arts and sciences in pre-1500 Andalucia and wondering what such an interplay would sound like today. The result blends Arabic and Spanish in a contemporary but timeless style, with chords that catch at the soul. Simply breathtaking. The final piece, Toda Sciencia Transcendiendo, is so simple, building from verse to verse with gradual elaboration, the title phrase repeating with ever-changing emphasis, and a haunting lift at the end of each verse. Extraordinary, uplifting stuff.

Labels: Viewpoint