Middle East Peace Orchestra
Reviews
Concert At The Royal Theatre, Copenhagen
Politiken, Anders Jerichow, 10 March 2006
If the world were a good place it would be like the Middle East Peace Orchestra. The orchestra is a group of lovely musicians - Arabs and Jews - who have decided that peace is a personal responsibility. They played a concert at the Royal Opera; old music with a wildly energetic, almost futuristic sound.
The stage rocked, the hall rocked, and for a moment one truely and fully believed that the world was a perfect place to spend one's life. We heard and learned that one can choose to play and dance instead of waiting for their governments to make peace. That different languages is no hindrance in singing the same tune. That Jews and Muslims and Christians play beautifully together - if they want to. And that different rhythms and contrasting cultures can make harmony and sound even more exciting together.
An encouraging lesson: Iranians are more than militant priests. Many good things to remember: Shokre Shahrzad danced so engagingly, so intensively that the dance could triumph over any allatoyah. When a Jewish cantor and a Lebanese singer can sing so beautifully together, the hizbollahs, settlers and other bogeymen are welcome to hear their own exit music.
Worth to remember: that both strong and weak instruments are needed to form the full sound picture. Without the fine oboe, the quiet flute and the energetic violin, the Middle East Peace Orchestra would not work.
The musicians in the band decide for themselves if they want to be a soundingboard for their respective governments' activities or if they want to play and give the music the chance despite prejudices, across borders, in spite of armed conflicts, cartoon troubles and burning embassies.
The Middle East Peace Orchestra should be on the state budget. The band should play at the opening of the parliament session and the United Nations' general assembly. It ought to play in Damaskus, on the West Bank, in Israel and the execution square in Riyadh. And the listeners can reflect. The music is strongly committing.
