Afghan songs and dances for string sextet and youth ensemble.
Youth/amateur ensemble (Interludes only): 5 open instrumentation parts (3 treble, 1 alto, 1 bass) plus keyboard.
I Bahar-e nastaran-bihag (Radio Piece)
Interlude 1/ Introduction (Youth ensemble), Sextet Movement 1 (Professional)
II - Shirin dokhtar-e maldar (Sweet Nomad Girl)
Interlude 2, Sextet Movement 2
III - Watan Jan (Dear Homeland)
Interlude 3, Sextet Movement 3
On 11 December 2014, several young musicians from the Afghanistan National Institute of Music were performing at the Istiqlal School, home to the French Cultural Centre in Kabul. The venue was targeted by a suicide bomber with devastating results, leaving a number of students (and ANIM’s founder and Director, Dr. Ahmad Sarmast) with severe injuries. Despite these most challenging of circumstances, ANIM continues to provide an extraordinary learning environment for all its students regardless of gender, ethnicity or social circumstances. They are committed to assuring musical rights, rebuilding lives through music, training future music educators, establishing intercultural dialogue and to reviving and preserving Afghan Music.
Gulistan-e Nur: The Rosegarden of Light is dedicated with great admiration to Dr. Ahmad Sarmast and to the students and staff of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music in Kabul, particularly remembering those who were injured in the 11 December attack.
The work is also dedicated to Kevin Bishop and members of the pioneering ensemble Cuatro Puntos who are dedicated to global co-operation and peace through the teaching, writing and performance of music worldwide. Cuatro Puntos gave the premiere on 24 September 2015 at the Lutheran Church of St. Mark, Glastonbury, Connecticut, USA.
Gulistan-e Nur: The Rosegarden of Light was commissioned with generous support from the Arts Council England International Development Fund and the Ambache Charitable Trust.
