Bobby McFerrin about his work with the Bulgarian choir Angelite
Summer Night Music 2002 - Spirits of Music Open air at the Marktplatz Leipzig, Germany "It's easy - you know - you know conducting an orchestra doing circle songs [...], doing solo voice music, because to me it's like just walking from room to room in a house, you know, it's the same house, the house of music. And every room has a different function, you know, or you live in a different way. And music is like that for me. Just walking from one room to the next. But sometimes I go to someone elses house and I don't really know where the things are. Per example, working with Angelite from Bulgaria, the piece that I am singing with them, it took me a little bit of time to learn the intricate rhythm that they sing and I didn't quite understand and I still don't understand it theoretically. And I am gonna try not to think about it because I know that if I do... " Watch the full program: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBjoEdEVMABJ_9cZ_Es-cDI4f5NNdabK4 Spirits of Music is an unusual musical journey through the centuries, with stops on all continents. Inspired by their creators' different faiths, the works on the program have a strong religious background and are moving examples of the emotional power and effect of music. Internationally renowned soloists and ensembles as Bobby McFerrin (a ten-time Grammy Award winner, he is one of the world’s best-known vocal innovators and improvisers, a worldrenowned classical conductor), Nigel Kennedy (one of the world’s leading violin virtuosos), Sibylla Rubens (has emerged as one of the most compelling lyric sopranos of her day) or the Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig will perform popular works from the European music tradition, encompassing Bach, Mozart and Verdi. Many magnificent examples of religious music come from artists as Kroke (playing and composing with the realm of authentic Jewish music), the Kuumba Singers (dedicated to the expression of black creativity and spirituality through song), Mari Boine (one of the most impressive folk artists of contemporary time), the Bulgarian Voices Angelite (24 women whose hypnotic chant circles the globe), Vocal Sampling (a Cuban six-man a cappella group which has been described as one of the wonders of the musical world) and the the Ensemble Al-Kindi (is currently rated among the best formations devoted to classical Arab music). With the inclusion of world music, the program will achieve a highly suspenseful juxtaposition of European and non-European music.
