Healing through conversation, concerts and kai
The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra will present a series of events in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland during March, working with Islamic organisations to mark the fifth anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks.
The project – Beyond Words – will offer Christchurch communities routes to healing through music, talks and the sharing of food on March 7. Kirsten Mason, one of the directors of the orchestra, has been instrumental in developing Beyond Words. The idea was sparked by conversations she had with composer John Psathas; but once it had started to take shape, the pair realised that this was no standard orchestral project.
“We couldn’t take a step further without engaging with the Muslim community,” Mason says. “Our very first question to them was: ‘do you even want us to do this?’”
But after receiving a broadly positive consensus, Mason and Psathas were able to set about pulling the diverse threads of the project together.
In collaboration with Moroccan vocalist OUM and Greek musician Kyriakos Tapakis, Psathas has written a new piece for the orchestra drawing on a range of global musical traditions. Ahlan wa Sahlan – a title based on an Arabic greeting – will receive its premiere in Christchurch Town Hall, which sees both OUM and Tapakis performing with the orchestra for the first time.
American conductor Fawzi Haimor, who was educated in the Middle East, will lead the orchestra through a concert programme of seven works including a section of traditional songs from the region. These will be performed by a trio from Simurgh Music School, a Christchurch organisation which promotes Middle Eastern musical traditions and instruments.
Liam Oliver will play saz, a Turkish stringed instrument, while Iranian musician Esmail Fathi will play the daf, a Middle Eastern drum. Moroccan Abdeilah Rharrabti – himself a survivor of the attack – will sing in Arabic.
Oliver reflects on the significance of this performance for the three of them, given Rharrabti’s connection to the tragedy. “To have his culture come out of that day even stronger and even more embedded in New Zealand – that’s a powerful story. And as he’d say, playing music is definitely a part of his healing process. “As for me, just as a musician, to have this special meaning to some people is a real bonus.”
Just before the concert the trio will give an informal afternoon performance in the Christchurch Arts Centre, after which they will host a hands-on workshop for anyone curious about Middle Eastern instruments. Also just before the orchestral concert, the town hall will host Shared Kai Share Culture: a communal meal prepared by women from migrant and refugee backgrounds, with food reflecting the roots of their various cultures.
Beyond Words will also feature a panel talk at The Arts Centre on the role of art in bringing communities together.
The Sounds Of Unity will include Psathas, OUM and others involved in the concert, alongside members of the local Islamic community. One panel member will be poet Sara Qasem, who lost her father in the attack. “How do we ensure that those lives that were lost – in this community that has been forever impacted – were not for nothing?” Qasem says of the panel’s purpose.
Regarding the wider aims of Beyond Words, Mason hopes that the centrepiece concert and the outreach events will create a stronger sense of community. “And a sense that everyone’s there, not just because they want to hear some beautiful music,” she says, “but because it matters to be there.”
Beyond Words will take place at The Arts Centre and Christchurch Town Hall on March 7. Further details are on the NZSO website.