For solo oud and string orchestra. Duration ca. 15′ minutes
Commissioned by Palaver Strings through the generous support of the Canada Council for the Arts.
This work is inspired by the myth of the oud’s origin; the legend of Lāmak (see below). My goal is to create a work that is contemplative, but not maudlin. A work that is rooted in both the world of the chamber orchestra as well that of the traditions of Arab maqam.
In the lyrics of Riyad Al-Sunbati’s song, على عودي “On my oud”, he sings, ‘I forbid tears from my eyes… and I hasten them to my oud‘. Despite the lavish orchestral introduction (this song was written for a film), it is the stoicism of the lyrics (by poet Hussain Al-Sayed) and Al-Sunbati’s singing, that I hope to bring to my composition.
A song from the same time period is the Beatles’ While my guitar gently weeps. I’ve always felt these two songs to be companions, somehow, expressing the same sentiments. When I compare the lyrics that Al-Sunbati sang and Eric Clapton’s very emotional guitar solo I feel a great difference in modes of expressing sadness. It is the prior approach that I think is more appealing to me, and more fitting to the oud, its sound world, and its cultural history. Another influence on my work is the understated beauty of Anour Barhem’s oud playing, as well as his minimalist, and inclusive approach to composition.
The Legend of Lamak:
“The origin of the oud, some writers, have said, lies in the grief of Lamak, a descendent of Cain, son of Adam. On the death of his five-year-old son, Lamak hung the boy’s limp body on a tree, intending to look at it until it dispersed or he himself died. But as he watched the bones emerging from the withering flesh over time, he had an idea. He took the remaining bones and sinews down and built a musical instrument from them–the oud. He then played it, wept, and sang the first lament. His daughter Sila became a maker of string instruments and drums.” (from The Oud by Rachel Beckles Willson)