Khalid Nassir opens the programme with First Journey, a six-part movement & orchestral work, inspired by moments of passion, departure, discovery and return, as the music reflects on the experiences and ideas that shaped the nation’s beginnings.
Ali Kano turns to the landscapes and musical traditions of the Emirates, through ‘Homeland Melodies’, his concerto, bringing arabic instruments into conversation with the Orchestra. An Emirati sound heard afresh within a contemporary orchestral setting.
The final work, by composer Fayez Al Saeed, brings Orchestra, Choir and poetry together. Featuring Emirati poet Arif Al Khajah’s ‘Lightning, Thunder & Longing’, the piece moves between memory and the present, tracing how identity and belonging are carried forward through time.