This was an evening designed to bring to our attention Qatar UK 2013 - to celebrate the creativity, diversity and mutual cultural understanding between the two nations. It began and ended with traditional, well known English music. In between was music composed by Wael Binali from Qatar and David Heath, a resident of Edinburgh - as well as a joint undertaking.
The twenty boys and girls of the choir of St Mary’s Cathedral, the twelve adult voices and their choir master, Duncan Ferguson, were at the pre-concert talk, together with the two composers and the pianist, Amira Fouad, who ensured everybody had an input into the fascinating discussion. We gained a valuable insight into the evening’s concert. This was enhanced at the outset of the concert itself by the Qatari Ambassador and the Scottish Foreign Minister, Humza Yousaf.
Handel’s Zadok the Priest has always been sung at UK coronations in Westminster Abbey, and is a natural part of the repertoire of the Cathedral Choir. The Royal Scottish National Orchestra under Paul Goodwin, once an oboe player and now a highly respected conductor, went on to play Wael Binali’s Earth. With its four movements it considers the plundering of the earth and leads to its renewal. A wholesome work, it would make an interesting concert overture.
David Heath conducted the Scottish Première of his short work, Hope Springs Eternal especially dedicated to the Qatar UK Year of Culture 2013. It gave every feeling of an enthusiasm for life - after the initial screech and with a slow drumming in the background, helped by percussionist Gary Kettel. And then it became quieter and thoughtful.
The piano was brought to the front for former Kirkaldy resident, Amira Fouad, in a beautiful blue dress, to play the Scottish première of David Heath’s El Hedeiva - The Gift. This is very much a composition for percussion, piano and orchestra without trumpets, trombones and with only one French Horn. The firm initial piano notes work with the tinkling of percussion. The show how it was done, Gary Kettel was on his North African drums.
After the interval two Scottish premières of Wael Binali works. His Scottish connection is powerful - his schooling was at Aberlour House and Michael Mavor’s Gordonstoun. Indeed his music teacher, on the oboe, was lauded at the pre-concert talk. He was born in 1968 to Qatari and Lebanese parents and is now based in West Hollywood, California, surrounded, as he told the pre-concert talk, with a menagerie of pets. I loved both his earlier Earth and Shafallah Suite 3: The Oryx and the Unicorn. I am determined to look out performances of his work in the years ahead.
I was not so comfortable with the joint work of Wael Binali’s compositions arranged by David Heath but admired the adventure.
And in some ways the best was left to the end with Elgar’s Cello Concerto played by the very talented Guy Johnston. It was easy to make the mistake and join in the applause after his mesmerizing first movement.
It looked as if the players of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra did not mind taking such a secondary role in a concert full of stars. It was a fascinating evening celebrating the cultural co-operation between Qatar and the United Kingdom.
Event: Friday 14 June 2013 at 7.30pm