MUSICAL PROGRAMME
Abed Azrié
L’Evangile selon Jean - creation
Livret, music and singing : Abed Azrié
Mediterranean Youth Orchestra's commission

Abed Azrié adapted a founding text on the Mediterranean cultures, The Gospel according to John, the most lively and varied among the Gospels which is rightly called the spiritual Gospel. It is the jewel of the crown of the New Testament. The scene depicting the Passion has always attracted the traditional or contemporary composers. For the first time, Abed Azrié has put an adaptation of the complete text of the sublime Gospel into music. It is sung in Arabic, the last surviving semitic language descending from the Aramean spoken by Christ.

MUSICAL DIRECTION Jean-Raymond Gelis, conductor ORCHESTRA AND CHOIR Orchestra : 26 musicians 9 violins, 3 violas, 3 cellos, 1 double bass, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, 4 percussionnists, piano, accordion, qanun Choir : Choir of the University of N.D. de Louaizé (Lebanon) 25 singers, soloists and chorus-singers Master of choir: Father Khalil Rahmé Soloist : Abed Azrié Countries represented Albania, Croatia, France, Spain, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey

COMPOSER
Abed Azrié
Born in Alep, Syria, Abed Azrié has lived and worked in Paris since 1967 and adapts ancient texts, legends and poetries. He has revived the Sumerian legend of Gilgamesh, as well as the Soufi poets, and has interpreted and spread the works of the greatest classical and contemporary Arabic poets as well as those of the Andalusian authors. By bringing to life the oral and written traditions through contemporary musical textures, Abed Azrié wants to be, above all, a man of freedom.

TRAINING SESSION
Aix-en-Provence from July 1st to 15th.
Teaching staff
Jean-Raymond Gelis, conductor, composer and teacher
Father Khalil Rahmé, master of the Choir of the University N.D. de Louaizé
Benoît Urbain, musician-arranger and pedagogue
Michèle Claude, percussionnist and professor at the ENM of Yerres
Claude Crousier, clarinettist soloist and professor at the CNR of Marseilles
François Gilles, violonist soloist and professor at the CNR of Montpellier

CONCERTS TOUR
from July 15th to 29th
Gémenos : Festival Musiques sacrées du Monde, Abbaye de Saint-Pons
Arles : Théâtre Antique
Pertuis : Enclos de la Charité
Chorégies d'Orange : Château de Malijay, Jonquières
Gap : Cathedral
Church of Saint-Auban : Festival Classik de Haute-Provence
Châteauvallon : Amphithéatre
Nice : Théâtre de Verdure
Abbaye de Saint-Hilaire : Festival Fugue en Aude Romane
Château médiéval de Clisson : Festival des Musiques Vagabondes de Loire-Atlantique

PARTNERS OF THE SESSION
The session 2001 profited from the support from :
Ministère des affaires étrangères - Ville d'Arles - Conseil général du Var - Ministère de la culture du Liban - Ambassade de France au Liban - Université Notre-Dame de Louaizé (Liban) - Artistas interpretes o ejecutantes (AIE), Espagne - Agence régionale de coordination artistique et de développement Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur - Régie culturelle régionale Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur - Agence pour le patrimoine antique Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
and from :
Fnac - Télérama - France Bleu Provence - France Bleu Vaucluse - France 3 Méditerranée

CD L’Evangile selon Jean Public recording : Mark Grey during the concerts tour CD except trade.