Among the Signs: 3 Verses from the Koran, in English
Robinson McClellan
About this work:
This piece is a setting of a passage from the Koran (Romans - Sura 30:20,24,25), translated into English by Thomas Cleary. My understanding is that in Islam, the Koran is considered religiously valid and accurate only in the original Arabic; any translation is strictly an interpretation, and not actual scripture. This contrasts with the other monotheistic traditions in which, for the most part, translations from the original Hebrew and Greek are treated as perfectly valid and useful in liturgy and scholarship.
I'm sure that my understanding of the above is incomplete; however, I chose to set a translation of the Koran to music in spite of the limitations in my understanding of Islam; I do not in any way profess to be writing Islamic music or propounding Islamic ideas. I chose the text because I was moved by it, and I feel that it has universal appeal. I also view this piece as an opportunity to bring out ideas and feelings shared between different religions. As part of this effort, I inserted a Protestant hymn text and tune, and mingled it with the Koranic text and other musical material.
I have asked many people for advice about the advisability of this project, and have received varied responses, from those urging caution (to avoid offending anyone) to those that feel that it's a great idea, and much needed in today's political/cultural climate. The most enthusiastic response I got was from a Pakistani-American friend who is a Muslim and a classical musician. I leave you to your own conclusions.
The piece was written in June 2003 for the Oxford Summer Institutes, a week-long composing workshop sponsored by Oxford University Press at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA. It was a wonderful experience, and I recommend it highly.
Though I had finished a draft of the piece before the workshop began, I reworked it extensively during the week. One of the alterations was the result of a suggestion someone made during the workshop: that the world needs more good SAB choral music (the piece began as a setting for SATB). I hope that some of the many church choirs out there who lack vast numbers of male voices might find this piece useful. It is intended to be of a medium level of difficulty.
A version of this piece was performed during the Oxford workshop by the Princeton Singers directed by Steven Sametz. The current version has changed quite a bit, and has not been performed yet.
This piece also exists in a longer version, which is about 12 minutes duration and includes 3 additional verses.
Text used by permission of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.
Year composed: 2003
Duration: 00:06:30
Ensemble type: Chorus, with or without Solo Voices:Chorus, Unaccompanied
Instrumentation: 1 S, 1 A, 1 B