African Sanctus

Fanshawes project ”African Sanctus” in his own words:

” African Sanctus is a universal work who’s impact is immediate, whose message is simple, the driving force is one of Praise and a firm belief in One Music - One God. It informs both listener and performer about African music and its relationship to Western polyphony”

Fanshawe’s project is to ”compose" a meeting between what he feels are two equal but different cultures. His intentions are pure and obviously nothing but good-hearted.

I think the most successful parts, according to the intention of the project is movement#2, ”Kyrie: Call to Prayer”. The Call is recited in Islam and the Choral Kyrie is sung in Latin, and this hybrid creates a strange but beautiful harmony between the two praises. One is to Allah, the other to the Christian God and, as written the program notes:

”This fusion emphasises the musical relationships that do exist between the Muslim and Christian faiths; an affirmation of belief in the one God.”

In movement#12 he repeats this composition:

”Although the composition is virtually the same as No. 2, the juxtaposition of tape to live is

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