DESCRIPTION:

‘Karitas’ is a spellbinding new composition by acclaimed British musician Sami Yusuf.
It was recorded live at the Holland Festival in June 2022 and delivered with
exceptional artistry by Cappella Amsterdam,
the Amsterdam Andalusian Orchestra & the composer’s own ensemble.
The work moves with intelligence and fluidity from Western choral music
to Middle Eastern modes to the cadence of Andalusia.

Modes traverse boundaries from the distinctive Bayati Shiraz
and Rast maqams to the aeolian. Subtly flowing rhythms & improvisation,
entrancing solos on the Chinese erhu, oud, ney, violin,
underscore the depth of the dialogue among traditions taking place here.
Lyrics by Fuzuli, a 16th c. Azerbaijani writer known as a poet of divine love,
are echoed here in the words of the 12th c. German mystic Hildegard of Bingen.
Intoxicatingly beautiful mawwals take verses from
the Andalusian poet Abul Hasan al-Shushtari (13th c.) and
Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulsi, a 17th c. Syrian writer.

CREDITS:

Composed and arranged by Sami Yusuf

Latin words by Hildegard von Bingen
Azerbaijani words by Mahammad Fuzuli
Mode: Bayati Shiraz with allusion to Rast

Sami Yusuf & Ensemble:

Sami Yusuf: Vocal
Ömer Avci: Bendir
Eyüpcan Açikpazu: Ney
Hasan Hekimoglu: Oud
Onur Cicin: Qanun
Guo Gan: Erhu
Seyyed Mohammad Jaberi: Daf
Huseyin Can Pala: Baglama
Mahyar Toreihi: Santoor
Jon Lawton: Guitar

Cappella Amsterdam:

Soprano: Sanda Audere, Elisabeth Blom, Marijke van der Harst
Alto: Hebe de Champeaux, Irene Sorozabal, Inga Schneider
Tenor: Jon Etxabe Arzuaga, Jelle Leistra, Diederik Rooker
Bass: Jan Douwes, Angus van Grevenbroek, Johan Vermeer

Production: Francesca Thompson