Al Subhi and El Helbawy wrap up nights of chanting at ROHM
In an atmosphere filled with spirituality, manifested by the remembrance of Allah and prayers upon the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him, the Royal Opera House Muscat concluded a series of Ramadhan evenings of chanting and praise amidst the presence of Omani, Arab, and foreign audiences.
The Omani chanter Sami al Subhi, accompanied by the Awtar Al Sharq group, delivered three beautiful chanting sessions at the Opera House, with the magnificent chorus singers Obaida al Subhi and the Al Yaarubi brothers, Mohammad and Mutaz, echoing the chants behind the lead chanter, adding nuances and melodies. The enchanting performance was further enhanced by the mesmerising performance of qanun player Wahab al Dhanki, who captivated the audience with his mastery of the instrument’s strings at the beginning of each chanting session, accompanied by oud player Nibras al Malahi, nay player Muhannad al Busaidy, and percussionist Naim al Balushi, all contributing to delivering the religious chants to the listeners with a heightened sense of emotion, delighting the audience. Expressing his joy, Sami al Subhi stated, “I am extremely pleased to be present at the Royal Opera House Muscat, which has provided me with the opportunity to present these chanting sessions with my ensemble, Awtar Al Sharq group, and the wonderful group of singers, hoping that we have succeeded in reaching the artistic taste of the audience.”
Al Subhi proudly expressed, “This is the first time I stand on the stage of the opera house, feeling proud to stand on this stage where I felt the grandeur of the place, which gave us a sense of responsibility to present our best.”
Al Subhi, carefully selected his chants after sitting with the ensemble members, choosing the ones that best suited the spiritual atmosphere of this blessed month.
The renowned Egyptian artist Aly El Helbawy, son of the great chanter Mohammed El Helbawy, along with his ensemble, delighted the local audience, who filled the tickets to listen to his delightful chants praising Allah, His generosity, and praising the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him and his morals and good deeds.
El Helbawi allowed the audience to join him in reciting and applauding in most of his chanting sessions, gaining their trust and declaring the enthusiasm of that night, as the group presented nearly 11 chanting sessions accompanied by the Egyptian chorus Ahmed Abdel Fattah, Zakaria Farag, and Abdullah Ahmed. The audience also enjoyed the performance presented by each musician with their musical instruments during the artistic sessions, starting with qanun player Ragi Kamal, violinist Mahmoud Shehata, percussionists Mustafa Mohammed and Ibrahim Labib, keyboard player Mohammed Helmi, in addition to the most enthusiastic guitarist bass, Ashraf Ehab. The ensemble was also joined by oud player
Bassem Darwish in the last three sessions, who came from Germany to participate with his friends in presenting this performance at the Royal Opera House Muscat.
El Helbawy expressed his happiness at being in Oman, expressing his joy at the invitation from the Royal Opera House Muscat, which allowed him and his friends the opportunity to meet the local audience in the Sultanate of Oman, who appreciates and craves religious chanting. The chanting evenings played a role in cultural exchange, with the participation of Arab and Omani artists, culminating in the participation of talented Omani chanters who presented their chants to the audience with their resonant voices, such as Khalid al Araimi, from the historical maritime city of Sur, and the Al Zawiya ensemble, which participated in many religious evenings and special occasions, enlivening some nights during religious occasions such as Ramadhan and the Prophet’s birthday, and various religious occasions accompanied by chanting and accompanying remembrance circles.