Organised and presented by Yunus Emre Institute London, The Whirling Dervishes: Mevlevi Sema Ceremony & Devran Dhikr by the Istanbul Sufi Ceremonies Ensemble was held in London, Cambridge, and Oxford with an attendance of over 2000 spectators and an approximate amount of £24K was raised for the Türkiye Earthquake Relief Fund.
The Whirling Dervishes Mevlevi Sema Ceremony & Devran Dhikr was presented and performed by / @meydanmeskleri İstanbul Tasavvuf İrfan ve Meydan Meşkleri Topluluğu (Istanbul Sufi Ceremonies Ensemble), a specialized ensemble officially established in 2018 under the Republic of Turkey's Ministry of Culture and Tourism and represents master vocal and instrumental artists and ensemble of senior Semazens (Whirling Dervishes).
The series of events launched on the 24th of April in London at the EartH Theatre, a stylish and glorious multi-arts space. The second stage of the tour took place on the 25th of April at West Road Concert Hall, one of Cambridge's premiere music venues and renowned for its superb acoustic qualities, and on the 26th of April, this spiritually fulfilling experience came to an end with a final performance at Sheldonian Theatre, an architectural jewel at the heart of Oxford!
In addition to these, the splendid tour featured two lectures and concerts held on Mevlevi Culture and Sufi Music! The first lecture and concert took place on the 23rd of April at SOAS University of London: The Department of Music and the second lecture and concert took place on the 25th of April at the West Road Concert Hall, University of Cambridge! As part of these lectures, Owen Wright, Emeritus Professor of Musicology of the Middle East delivered a talk on the historical aspect of Ottoman Classical Music and the Musical tradition of the Mevlevi Ayin as well as the repertoire of the Mevlevi tradition. In order to complement Wright’s talk on the subject, the ensemble performed the third salam of Mevlevi Ayin composed in Hicaz Makamı.
The Head of the Dervishes, Mehmed Fatih Çıtlak, who is an accomplished Islamic scholar, Sufi shaykh, and author delivered an inspiring talk on the Ottoman Sufi culture and the rich symbolic meanings, rules, and characteristics attached to this centuries-old tradition. He touched on the universal validity (relevance) and unifying meanings of the Sufi tradition in the Ottoman & Turkish contexts. Further in his talk, Çıtlak elaborated on the meşk method, the musical education system that was developed by Ottoman / Turkish musicians and has been performed in palaces, magnificent mansions, mosques and lodges throughout history in Turkish music. Çıtlak’s talk was accompanied by a joyful concert in the traditional Meşk style, which is a musical education system that was developed by Turkish musicians. This way, the classical methods of music training taught in the traditional dervish lodges throughout history were also partially displayed on stage.
The ensemble led by the art director, Yüce Gümüş sang and performed a medley of traditional pieces by Ottoman Classical and Sufi music. Every member of the audience was noticeably joyous throughout the evening as they played pieces in Rast Makamı, which is one of the most played Turkish systems of melodic modes and is said to bring happiness and tranquillity to the hearer! At the end of the event, it was not surprising to have the ensemble returning to the stage to play pieces in Nihavend Makamı after the audience’s inviting applause that they could not reject!
The Whirling Dervishes: Mevlevi Sema Ceremony & Devran Dhikr organised by Yunus Emre Insitute London and the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Culture and Tourism in collaboration with TİKA: Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency, Turkish Airlines, University of Cambridge: Faculty of Music, and supported by the EartH Theatre, Sheldonian Theatre, West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge Islamic Art, Cambridge Crescent, Islam Channel, Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, Oxford Turkish Society and SOAS University of London: Department of Music aims to introduce and represent the authentic Sema ceremony in its traditional and genuine form.
For more information on the event, please visit Yunus Emre Institute London’s Website: yeelondon.org.uk/ or email us at londra@yee.org.tr
Негізгі бет Cambridge: Ottoman Sufi Music & Culture | Lecture & Concert
Пікірлер