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Harrison: The Rosegarden of Light


Release Date: 06/10/2016 
Label:  Toccata Classics   Catalog #: 342   Spars Code: n/a 
Composer:  Ustad Mohammed Omar,  Sadie Harrison,  Traditional,  Ustad Salim Sarmast
Performer:  Kevin Bishop
Orchestra/Ensemble:  ANIM Junior Ensemble of Traditional Instruments,  Ensemble Zohra,  Cuatro Puntos
Number of Discs: 1 
Length: 0 Hours 51 Mins. 

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Notes and Editorial Reviews

This release is a joint project between American string sextet Cuatro Puntos and student ensembles from Afghanistan National Institute of Music (ANIM), opened in Kabul in 2010 after a period of Taliban rule in which instruments were destroyed and musicians were outlawed. The special goal of ANIM is on supporting the most disadvantaged members of Afghan society, many students are orphans and street vendors. Cuatro Puntos is based in Hartford, Connecticut. The ensemble is a non-profit organization centered around global peace and cooperation achieved through the writing, teaching and performance of music across the world. The title work is by composer Sadie Harrison; in recognition of her unique integration of modern composition and Read more traditional Afghan folk music, she was given the honor of being named a Visiting Fellow at Goldsmiths, London. This album is the result of her time there. The Rosegarden of Light alternates between interludes performed by the Ensemble Zohra, the ANIM all-girls ensemble and fantasies on their material performed by Cuatro Puntos. "At a time when we are bombarded every day by images of the world in crisis, The Rosegarden of Light is a joyful celebration of musicians who share a fundamental right to express themselves through the universal language of music." - Blackmore Vale Magazine Read less

Works on This Recording

1.
Arghawan (The Judas Tree) by Ustad Mohammed Omar
Orchestra/Ensemble:  ANIM Junior Ensemble of Traditional Instruments
2.
Dast be Dast "Allah Hu" by Sadie Harrison
Performer:  Kevin Bishop (Viola)
Period: Contemporary 
Written: 2014 
3.
The Rosegarden of Light by Sadie Harrison
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Ensemble Zohra,  Cuatro Puntos
Period: Contemporary 
Written: 2015 
4.
Qataghani Folksong by Traditional
Orchestra/Ensemble:  ANIM Junior Ensemble of Traditional Instruments
5.
Oh Flower Branch by Ustad Salim Sarmast
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Cuatro Puntos
Period: 20th Century 
Written: 1950 
6.
Logari Folksong by Traditional
Orchestra/Ensemble:  ANIM Junior Ensemble of Traditional Instruments
7.
The Pistachio Seller by Traditional
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Cuatro Puntos
8.
Red Rosebud by Traditional
Orchestra/Ensemble:  ANIM Junior Ensemble of Traditional Instruments

Customer Reviews

Average Customer Review:  ( 2 Customer Reviews )
 Genre Pairing Works Marvelously Well July 17, 2016 By D. Hull (Franklin, TN) See All My Reviews "The album’s highlight is the title work. Performed by the young women of Ensemble Zohra, the 3 Interludes that begin each section have a simple, direct charm, enhanced rather than hampered by the students’ noticeably junior performance level. The 3 Movements that follow each provide more sophisticated music, performed with bright polish by Cuatro Puntos. Listeners who know the popular Appalachian collaborations between Edgar Meyer, Mark O’Connor, and Yo-Yo Ma will appreciate and enjoy this Afghan folk flavored art music. The crepuscular harmonies of the 2nd movement are a standout. The album’s also a real toe tapper, especially the performances by the Junior Traditional Ensemble at the ANIM, dotting the program with some excellently tuneful and spirited music, like a guide leading the listener along. In a Soundhub interview on Resonance FM, Rosegarden composer Sadie Harrison sites an impulse to make her music more accessible, and this approach informs the whole album’s trajectory. You may never again find a solo for unaccompanied viola (a yearning, dark performance by Kevin Bishop) in the same company as traditional music performed by Afghan instruments (tabla, tanbur, rubab, zerbaghali, delruba, harmonium) — and enjoy them equally. And that may be the most remarkable success of the album: the dichotomous playlist, a mix of a traditional music and a classical music, each from distinct cultures, creates a compelling listening experience, which really proves its overall point, that harmony needn’t be only vibrations in the air." Report Abuse
 A remarkable, life-affirming collaboration June 11, 2016 By Dean Frey See All My Reviews "Sadie Harrison is a composer of considerable stature, with a significant oeuvre that shows variety, depth and originality. She has been engaged in two additional professions which enhance her music. She's a professional gardener, which gives her insights into the natural world and organic processes, and also an archaeologist, which opens windows into other cultures and to the past. The Rosegarden of Light project is a fascinating partnership with Cuatro Puntos (with whom Harrison is working closely, as composer in residence), a chamber music collective dedicated to global cooperation and peace, and student ensembles of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music (including the girls' Ensemble Zohra and the Junior Ensemble of Traditional Afghan Instruments). The combination of Harrison's special writing for strings, full of deceptively simple, open tunes and intricate rhythms and harmonies, and the joyful traditional Afghan music with its delightful sound palette gives this music an uplifting feeling. It makes one at least a tiny bit optimistic that music can indeed change lives, even for young people looking for life and joy against such high odds." Report Abuse
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