Music, food mark mosque terror attacks anniversary
Muslim communities in Christchurch have taken part in musical collaborations as part of events to mark the terrorist attacks of five years ago, aiming to help the city heal.
An evening concert, Beyond Words, featuring the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, was held yesterday evening.
Billed as “an expression of peace and unity through music”, the orchestra performed the premiere of Ahlan wa Sahlan, a piece written for the occasion by composer John Psatha.
Leading up to the Beyond Words finale, afternoon events took place at the Arts Centre and Town Hall designed to engage the city’s diverse communities in remembrance and reflection.
The Arts Centre’s Great Hall was the venue for an Islamic music performance and workshop called Simfunia Al-Wihda, translated from Arabic as Symphony Of Unity.
Staged by Simurgh Music School – a local organisation which promotes Middle Eastern musical traditions –t he performance saw six Christchurch-based musicians performing pieces from South Asia and the Middle East. They played four songs, explaining the cultural and musical background to each one. After the performance, the audience was invited to try out the instruments in an informal workshop.
Performer Nelson Myers-Daly believed the event had met its aim of bringing people together.
“What I'd like people to take away from this is how music is a universal language,” he said. “Everyone can understand different languages. But as soon as you sing a song people’s hearts come to the fore, and it unifies.”
Audience member Maureen Heffernansaid the “great unifying force” of music was at play during the performance and workshop.
A food sharing event – Shared Kai Shared Culture – was also organised by community organisations, with 60 people gathering to eat a traditional Afghan meal.
Event project manager Claire Newman said it reflected a movement in the city for peace and unity.
“There are a lot of people working to try and make our society more inclusive, and a place where we can all belong regardless of our backgrounds. And that is a response to the mosque shootings.”