Programme and Performers
Programme and Performers
Rushil Ranjan Allah Hoo
Ya Mustafa
Man Kunto Maula
Ganje Shakar
Candles
Soul Escape
INTERVAL
Ya Nabi Salaam Aleka
Rubaru
Nit Khair Manga
Yare Man
Ghar Aa
This repertoire is subject to change.
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
London Voices
Melvin Tay conductor
Rushil Ranjan composer, arranger, piano
Abi Sampa lead vocals
Janan Sathiendran tabla
Sarthak Kalyani chorus vocals
Jatinder Kwatra chorus vocals
Vibhati Bhatia chorus vocals
Ramandeep Singh chorus vocals
Shahid Abbas Khan chorus vocals
Lydia Alonso cello
Kesha Raithatha dancer
Programme note
Programme note
When Abi and I brought the Orchestral Qawwali Project to the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in 2023, we were equal parts nervous and excited. Truth be told, it was my first time writing for a symphony orchestra and most of the repertoire had never been performed before. And much like tonight, we were preparing to play to an incredibly passionate Qawwali audience. Suffice to say, the stakes felt high.
Nothing, however, could have prepared us for the experience of working with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. The musicians of the CBSO are not only brilliantly capable, but incredibly generous. In their hands — and through the rapturous vocals of Abi Sampa — the music lifted off the page with colour and life of which I had only dreamed.
And then there was the audience, who met us with a warmth and generosity we never could have predicted. It was particularly special to discover that a huge majority of our audiences, both in London and further afield, had never seen an orchestra perform before coming to one of ours shows. That tells a story we and the CBSO are proud to be part of: one where ancient musical traditions meet new ears, and where orchestral music expands its space of welcome, wonder and shared curiosity.
Tonight’s programme is a continuation of this shared artistic journey. In addition to playing some of our existing repertoire we’re including new pieces that we’ve written since our last concert and some works that, again, have never been performed before.
Through the privilege of playing this music and meeting audience members, I’ve discovered what feels like a deeper meaning that underpins all of it. Qawwali and Western classical music are, on the surface, disparate art forms that are almost antithetical in their practices. One based on improvisation and monophonic melody, the other on written structure and detailed harmonic content. Yet despite originating oceans apart, they have ultimately evolved to meet the same need for connection, community and divinity. The best of both traditions reflects something timeless, real and profound about the human condition and allows us to connect to our inner spirituality.
My hope is that the music I’ve written gently draws attention to this connective tissue and therefore to our shared and collective experiences.
I could not conceive of a better collection of musicians and artists to perform it. Conducted by Melvin Tay, we are also joined by the phenomenal singers from London Voices who bring a new dimension to this music. And, as always, we are led in song by the phenomenal voice of Abi Sampa.
© Rushil Ranjan
Artist Biographies
Melvin Tay
Melvin Tay is a versatile Singaporean conductor based in Manchester. He regularly collaborates with a wide range of ensembles, spanning diverse musical genres. These include the BBC and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic orchestras, Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, Manchester Camerata, Northern Ballet Sinfonia, London Voices, National Youth Choir of Great Britain, and Orchestral Qawwali Project (OQP), among others. He was awarded the Special Prize at the second International Conducting Competition in Brescia. He is currently Music Director of Northern Film Orchestra (NFO) and Westmorland Orchestra and is the Artistic Director of Leeds Haydn Players.
He has conducted numerous premieres, including the recording of Rushil Ranjan’s music for the Aakash Odedra Company’s production of Songs of the Bulbul, which was premiered at Edinburgh Festival to critical acclaim, and the world premiere of Shikwa – the first-ever symphonic interpretation of Allama Muhammad Iqbal’s legendary Urdu poem - with Manchester Camerata at Bradford Literature Festival.
His work with the BBC Philharmonic includes recordings for BBC Radio 3, Blue Peter, and a new musical by Theo Jamieson and Simon Pitts for BBC World Service. As a regular conductor for OQP performing at venues across the world, he plays a pivotal role in bridging the two musical worlds of Qawwali and Western classical music.
With NFO, he has led the UK premiere of Michael Shapiro’s Frankenstein alongside the 1931 film and conducted sessions for composers such as Dom Jones, Louie Taylor and Jeff Nang.
On the opera stage, he made his Singapore debut conducting a double bill of Menotti’s The Telephone and his own 65-minute chamber arrangement of Puccini’s La bohème.
In addition to his conducting work, Melvin Tay is a Tutor in Conducting at the Royal Northern College of Music and its Junior school. He has also led conducting workshops for the Royal Air Force Band Service and the Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Company.
