University of York Music Press

Since 2001, Sadie has composed a number of works which seek to integrate Afghan music into her own works in a meaningful and illuminating fashion.

Her acclaimed Metier CD ‘The Light Garden’ juxtaposed a trilogy of instrumental works (The Light Garden, The Fourteenth Terrace and Bavad Khair baqi!) alongside performances of Afghan music played by the renowned Ensemble Bahktar.

In 2013, Ian Pace premiered a substantial work for solo piano and birdsong at the Late Music Festival in York, entitled The Return of the Nightingales, based on John Baily’s documentary of the same name which celebrates the work of the students and staff at the Afghanistan National Institute of Music in Kabul.

2014 saw the premiere of a groundbreaking work for viola, rubab and tabla - Dast be Dast (Hand to Hand) performed at the French Embassy in Kabul.

Her most recent work has focused on an international collaboration with ANIM and US ensemble Cuatro Puntos. Entitled Gulistan-e Nur: The Rosegarden of Light, the project toured the US in September 2015 and will be heard across the UK, in Berlin and The Hague in May-June 2016.

Three movements from the work were recorded by ANIM’s girl’s Ensemble Zohra. Following the success of these pieces, Sadie has been invited to write a work for the Afghanistan National Youth Orchestra, the first woman to be afforded such an honour.

Sadie will be giving a talk on her 15 year association with the music of Afghanistan at Goldsmiths College on 24 November at 5.00pm.