Singers: David Hurley (countertenor), Robin Tyson (countertenor), Paul Phoenix (tenor), Philip Lawson (baritone), Christopher Gabbitas (baritone), Stephen Connolly (bass).

Sarband: Celaleddin Bier: ney (reed flute), Mustafa Dogan Dikmen: voice, Ahmet Kadri Rizeli: keman-rumi (bowed fiddle with three strings), Safinaz Rizeli: kanun (trapezoidal zither), Vladimir Ivanoff: bendir (frame drum), musical director (Sarband).



For thousands of years, the biblical Psalter has been the liturgical "heart" of the three main book religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The Psalms announce the word of God and, simultaneously, contain the full range of human experience.

Jews, Christians and Muslims sing and listen to the same songs of lament and joy, confessions of sin, hymns of praise and adoration. In this project of the King's Singers and Sarband, psalm settings by composers from three religions give an example of how psalms can be a source of spirituality, a political instrument, a link between tradition and modernity and, above all, a bridge connecting human beings.

Label: Signum Records Year: 2005

Pubished reviews

Los Angeles Times October 24 2005

October 24, 2005  MUSIC REVIEW  Like a harmonic convergence At Disney and Royce halls Friday, two programs shared similar themes of breaking down religious barriers.  By Richard S. Ginell, Special To The Times  While Osvaldo Golijov's "Ayre," at Walt Disney Concert Hall on Friday, was trying to find common ground among the Christian, Jewish and...
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Sacred Bridges : CLASSIC FM MAGAZINE

CLASSIC FM MAGAZINE   Sacred Bridges     The Book of Pslams is central to all three major monotheistic faiths. Taking this as their starting point, The King's Singers and the East-West ancient-music ensemble Sarband alternate 17th-Century Psalter settings with medieval Persian flute, drum and zither sounds. It's an interesting idea, but the effect...
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Sacred Bridges: EARLY MUSIC REVIEW

<h5>EARLY MUSIC REVIEW</h5><br> OCTOBER 2005<br>    <b>Sacred Bridges</b><br> Sarband  <br> I often first play a disc without looking at the booklet. I assumed that Ali must be a member of Sarband and wondered what the point was of having a modern Muslim rehash of a Geneva psalm. But there is a very good reason. Ufki, alias...
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Sacred Bridges: GRAMOPHONE

GRAMOPHONE  March 2006  Editor's Choice   Sacred Bridges  Sarband   Music can play such an important role in bringing together religions and cultures   which is the self-proclaimed mission of the group Sarband. The Psalms are common to all three Monotheistic religions, so here Sarband have joined the King's Singers to explore the Psalms as composed...
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Customer Reviews