NNA – National Evangelical Church in Beirut – Zoqaq El Balat, founder of the Conservatory of Music and Art in Lebanon, founder of the Conservatory of Music and Art in Lebanon, at the invitation of composer Heba Al-Qawas, president of the National Institute of Higher Music, composer Heba Al-Khawas, and in the context of the tribute programs organized by the institute in tribute to the elders, creator of the Lebanese National Anthem. and was the first composer. In Lebanon, Sayed Aql said about him: “Before him, our music had no legacy, and after him, we were in art …” The late musician Wadih Sabra (1876-1952).
The celebration was overseen by the professor of singing at the conservatory, with the participation of students of piano, opera and violin.
After opening with the full national anthem, the glorious music composed by the choir, the first address was given by Reverend Habib Badr, President of the Evangelical Association in Lebanon and Honorary President of the Churches of the Middle East. Appreciating the conservatory and thanking its president, he said, “I am the pastor of this church, the musician Sabra: In the 1940s, the church had a pipe organ, and Wadih Sabra played it every Sunday. Thanks to Dr. Heba Al-Khawas, president of the conservatory, and thanks to the National Music Group, in addition to what he wrote for the choir of the church. It made him shine again, and thanks to musician Fadi Kinbert, because he reminded people of Wadih Sabra and revived his great legacy.
Bows
Then Al-Qawwas spoke, stressing that “this celebration is the first blessing for the evangelical congregation that has embraced music in Lebanon since the last century”: “Today the national anthem has a special significance because we celebrate the author. The music for this anthem, and because the students of the Conservatory of Lebanon chanted it with their voices, it is Most notably, Sabra was the founder of the National Institute of Music, or “House of Music”, later known as the National Institute of Music during the time of Dr. Walid Gholmi. , who lived for most of his life in Paris and Istanbul, in whose building the Conservatory was founded.Its main center was before the war, and this is the time for us to acquire and accumulate this tradition.
And, “Sometimes something prevents us from progressing in music because we work separately. There are those who come and work alone, and there are those who reject those who came before. We tend to reject each other. In creativity, music is not the property of a writer.. A compositional structure, different from the melodies we know in classical or choral music, must form a chronological order, regardless of the musical structure, because of its notational mechanism. We must create a timeline that resembles a place, because we as teachers cannot ignore our heritage stored within us. As a composer I have two tasks, which is to share this tradition that started with Vadi Sabra with the great composers who came before us, and to continue this task with other composers conducting tribute concerts. The other task in my capacity as the head of the conservatory is to extend this link to complete the founding process started by Wadih Sabra, then the re-establishment completed by Dr. Walid Qolmi, and then continue to reach the new one. Place. The accumulation of musical knowledge is the basis for us to have a variety of compositions and music in its full heritage. We are proud to congratulate Wadih Sabra, Lebanon's first composer of the year. For his supervision of the work.” I also thank the professors and students who provided the composition, Tatiana Slim, Head of the Piano Department, and Vadi Sapra. I also thank Institute Professor Mr. Pierre Somaya for his efforts in directing and training the choir.
Al-Qawwas concluded: “In the new curriculum for the coming year, it is our duty to include the music of Lebanese composers in all instrumental syllabi and ensemble syllabi, so that it can be read and learned. It is our duty to be an essential part of every philharmonic orchestra celebration for Lebanese composers after the orchestra is finished.
Gibert
For his speech, baritone Fadi Ginbert discussed the life of Wadi Sabra and his important historical and musical path, explaining and introducing to the audience a great musical figure from Lebanon. Few are interested in reviving this ancient tradition, and Ginbert… is one of those who has worked with great passion in serious research into the career of Bright Sabra.
He thanked the priest Habib Badr who accompanied him on this mission: “Many years ago, I researched the documents of an important, great, but forgotten person, whom we only know composed music. In 2019, I founded the Mother Institute of Music in Lebanon, and this unknown soldier gave a lot to Lebanon. I could no longer give up what was given and Lebanon had forgotten him. In 1892 he represented the beginning of the dialogue between the accepted and Western cultures. In 1910, he returned to Lebanon and founded the school “Dar al-Musika”, because this school was the first in the world. Closed during the war because Jamal Pasha was in cahoots with the French, he returned in 1918 and opened his school, which he named in 1925. In 1929, the Lebanese government launched a competition to establish a national institution, and his school won.
Ginbert added: “Wadih Sabra composed 3 operas in Ottoman language in 1917, then he translated it into French, which is considered the first opera in Arabic, in 1927 under the name “The”. Romance in French in 1931 under the title “The Emigrant”. He composed the national anthem of Lebanon at that time. I discovered that the last anthem of Abdul Hamid al-Qazi was the first Lebanese folk artist to study Western music. His goal was to write oral songs without a written system, even though the lack of voice was a problem for musicians.Although there were some errors in trying to write these ancient songs, it was written in a European language, but I found a lot of melodies and songs that have developed and found a way to do it today. Tonight you will discover some of the pieces for piano he composed and published in France between 1906 and 1913.
He concluded: “I thank Dr. Heba for the opportunity to embark on this adventure with the Conservatory and hope that all musicians will renew the legacy of this great musician, especially the Conservatory students who are future musicians. We cannot build a homeland and a civilization without remembering our elders and restoring their legacy.
After Giinbert's detailed presentation of some of Sabra's life, which included works by the legendary figure, the audience was awed by the depth of his knowledge of the deceased's legacy, the depth of Sabra's talent, and the importance of his musical legacy. . The first section includes four piano pieces composed by Sabra:
- “Indian Taffeta 1909” was played by Professor Rita Labaki's student Noor Kadam.
- Disconnect “Foreword – Act 2 (Emigrant – ohperette (1931)
Played by Mary Khoury, a student of Professor Jana Bokova.
- Disconnect “Polka Orientale-1908 Fares Abdel-All, a student of Professor Mira Jandout, played the music.
- Disconnect “3rd East March – 1909” Karim Hassan, a student of Mira Jandout, played the music.
The second part of the evening included Wadih Sabra's songs composed by his adopted daughter Badia Sabra Haddad, who later became one of the most important names in teaching at the conservatory and one of the best-known names in music and singing after Sabra's discovery. According to Fadi Kanbert's description of her, her greatest talent was adopting her, embracing her, and training her. Professor Lisa Dudunjian's student Yara Grady played piano with the student performers.
The first song, “Mother's Memory,” a poem by Shipley Mallat (1943), was sung by Rita Maloof, a student of Professor Marie-Thérèse Hobeka. Later, Marianne Helo, a student of Professor Marie Therese Hobeka, sang “Mother Earth” by Rushdie Maloof. Later, Marianne Helo, a student of Professor Marie-Thérèse Hobieka, also asked “What's done?” He sang the song. Poem by Saeed Aklin.
The third part of the evening was devoted to some of Sabra's piano works, namely:
Dance no. 13 – Act II (L'Émigré – Operetta) 1931–– Alec Tonerian, student of Prof. Michael Gairalla on violin and Rami Danes, student of Prof. Theodora Kathar on piano.
- La Rosana – 1913 Waltz de Concert – 1906 Rami Danes is a student of Professor Theodora Kather in piano
- Waltz Caprice – 1933 Michael Trebi is a student of Professor Hori Sarafian
The fourth and final segment of the honors evening featured Sapra's works performed by the Choir of the Song Conservatory conducted by Professor Pierre Semaya and accompanied on piano by Jossian Sfeir, a student of Professor Jana Babkova:
- “Snake Dance” Dance of the lepers 1928 – )Two Kings – Opera) | A novel of two kings( Poems by Maroon Ghosn, a student of Prof. Pierre Somaya, soloist Sarbal Eid.
- “Ahwa al-Qazal al-Rabi” 1906 – Solo tenor Charbel Eid, student of Professor Pierre Somaya.
- “Glory of Lebanon” 1929Poetry by Maroon Ghosn
- “Here I am in Lebanon” – 1950, poem by Sayed Aklin.
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