“Arba” Choir and Orchestra raise a cry of peace from Aleppo for the East 

Under the title “A Cry of Peace and Mercy for the Souls of the Martyrs and the Suffering”, the “Arba Choir and Orchestra performed an evening of classical music at the Mar Elias Maronite Cathedral in Aleppo.

The orchestra, accompanied by 21 singers, performed international pieces from the golden age of classical music, which contained multiple prayers and chants that translated the title and purpose of the evening.

“The evening is a cry of peace for the suffering East, and because Aleppo is a land of culture and arts, we decided to present our message of peace through international music and addressed  it to the world to show them that we are advocates for peace in our lands and we strive to achieve it despite all the difficulties” The Maronite Archbishop of Aleppo, Bishop Youssef Tobji, said in a statement to a SANA reporter:.

The conductor of the choir and orchestra, Jamil Al-Bitar, pointed out that the evening is a joint prayer between the band members and the attendees for the souls of the martyrs, and it is the result of months of preparation with four layers harmonizing within one melody with the aim of presenting the pieces with elegance and a special style.

Maya Dabbagh, a member of the band, expressed  that the evening is a translation of the cry of the Syrians from the heart of suffering and the people of Palestine from the midst of the occupation, indicating the place of the evening is distinguished  because the cathedral was damaged during the war and after the earthquake on February 6, but it received worshipers again as a message of resurrection and peace from the midst of death.

In turn, viola player Marwan Abu Jahjah, who joined the orchestra from Damascus, said  that the choir develops with great harmony between its members and the musicians and provides the opportunity for the Syrian National Symphony players to transfer their experiences to the players in Aleppo.

Sandra Rakhtwan expressed her happiness in participating in the choir, which brought its young members out of the environment of suffering  into the world of contemplation through music and provided them with hope within collective efforts seeking one success.

Rawaa Ghanam