Music by Candlelight Tues July 1st

Tues July 1st, 8pm, St Marys Church, St Mary’s Row, Moseley, Birmingham B13 8HW.
Free Entry (donations welcome).

This is the third year Ive curated and performed in this event as part of the Moseley Festival – an evening of varied, gorgeous, diverse and engaging spiritually inspired music in the beautiful setting of St Mary’s Church by Candlelight. Should be a lovely evening, so I hope you can make it.

Featuring: Aa’shiq Al Rasul (Qawwali/Nasheed vocal group), St Marys Schola (Anglican choral), Robert Zhilmor (Flute inspired by Chinese Falun Dafa) and Rich Batsford (contemporary meditative piano).

Amran Ellahi founded Aa’shiq Al Rasul in 1998, with the backing of vocalist Kamran Ellahi, Tahir Khan, Sheraz Yaqub, percussionists Andy Mason and Usman Malik. Hailing from the West Midlands AAR are classically trained singers and percussionists who perform an impressive repertoire of contemporary and traditional nasheeds in Arabic, Urdu and English. Their debut album Blessed Mustafa received great critical acclaim and was soon followed by Divine Lights, the groups excellent rendition of the Asma ul-Husna, or Beautiful Names of God. The Chosen One went on to further develop their distinctive sound a combination of rousing, powerful vocals married to exciting live percussion.

AAR have performed in front of thousands, Muslim and non-Muslim alike, at some of the most prestigious venues and events including the Glastonbury Music Festival, ISNA Convention, Celebrate Eid Tour and The Muslim Millennium Festival and have performed with renowned nasheed artists such as Yusuf Islam, Raihan from Malaysia, Rabbani also from Malaysia, The Sabri Brothers Qawwal from Pakistan, Sami Yusuf, Zain Bhikha, 786 and many more.

Longserving Organist and Choirmaster of St Marys Church Moseley Mick Perrier reforms choral group St Marys Schola especially for this exciting evening. Formed in large part by members and ex-members of St Marys Church Choir, the ensemble will present a variety of a capella Anglican Church music including work by the Renaissance master Thomas Tallis. Mick has long been a central figure in the musical life of Moseley and his participation in this event is indicative of a commitment to enable the wider community to benefit from the remarkable resource which is the magnificent building St Marys Church.

Robert Zhilmor presents a set of hauntingly beautiful solo flute music from the tradition of Falun Dafa (also known as Falun Gong) – a Chinese practice of compassion and meditation which has found itself in the news due to continued persecution by the Chinese government.

Beginning his musical journey as Chorister at the Church at the start of Mick Perriers stewardship some thirty years ago, Rich Batsford is now becoming known as a composer/performer of meditative, melodic piano music which has been likened to work from Philip Glass, Keith Jarret and Eric Satie.
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