Arun Ghosh The Canticle of the Sun

Featuring Seaming To voice; Irini Arabatzi voice; Arun Ghosh clarinet, keyboards, guitar; Mieko Shimizu keyboards, harmonium, vocals; Camilla George alto saxophone; Ruth Goller electric bass; Davide Mantovani double bass; Sarathy Korwar drums, percussion

Award-winning clarinettist and composer Arun Ghosh presents a Spiritual Jazz setting of St. Francis of Assisi’s sublime and beautiful prayer, The Canticle of the Sun.

Written in the Umbrian dialect in the 13th Century, The Canticle of the Sun expresses St. Francis’ all-encompassing love for the natural world, and for humanity. His flowing verses call out in praise of our Celestial world: the Sun, the Moon and the Stars; our natural elements; Air, Water, Fire and Mother Earth; and the universal themes of Love, Devotion, Death and Peace. Set across ten songs, Arun’s electro-acoustic reimagining of The Canticle of the Sunnis mystical and joyful, contemporary and ancient. Pure and other-worldly vocal melodies soar over the eight-piece ensemble’s pulsating, hypnotic rhythms, searching harmony and meditative ambient textures, revealing a transcendental sound world.

Sung in St. Francis’ original Umbrian text, alongside a chanted English translation, this is passionate, heartfelt and all-embracing new music; a love-song to life, nature and the Universe.

Presented in association with Freedom Festival Arts Trust

Produced by Sound UK. Co-commissioned by Norfolk & Norwich Festival.