The Myth of Gilgamesh and Middle Eastern Music

with Simon Shaheen & Qantara

Friday, November 14, 2008

Bowker Auditorium   8:00 pm
$20, $15; Five College students & Youth 17 and under, $15

Inscribed on stone tablets in Babylonia more than three thousand years ago, the Epic of Gilgamesh tells of King Gilgamesh's quest for immortality after losing his dearest friend, Enkidu. This unforgettable story, set in Mesopotamia (today's Iraq), is presented in a mesmerizing mix of music and storytelling. As the storyteller, Margaret Olivia Wolfson spins her version of the epic, bringing its characters and themes of friendship and courage, love and loss to new and exciting life, as renowned Palestinian-American musician Simon Shaheen and the musicians of his Qantara Ensemble, perform dazzling rhythms and haunting melodies on Oud (Arabian lute), violin, Ney (Arabian flute), and world percussion. Together, the storytelling and music create a thrilling experience guaranteed to inspire and intrigue.

Additional support is provided by the Five College Lecture Fund and the music departments of Amherst, Hampshire and Smith Colleges.

 

Associated Events

Lec/Demo with Simone Shaheen

at Amherst College
Wednesday, November 12, 2008 

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Lec/Demo with Simone Shaheen

at Hampshire College
Wednesday, November 12, 2008 

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Lec/Demo w/Simone Shaheen

at the Loomis Retirement Community
Thursday, November 13, 2008 

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Master Class w/Simone Shaheen

at the Springfield Community Music Center
Thursday, November 13, 2008 

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Storyteller Workshop w/Margaret Wolfson

at Westfield Middle School
Thursday, November 13, 2008 

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Lec/Demo w/Simone Shaheen

at Smith College
Thursday, November 13, 2008 

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