I play in our local orchestra, and I will admit, this TFTD is an obvious plug for our summer concert!
The pieces include the well-known New World Symphony by the 19th century Czech composer Antonin Dvorak. He often used folk music from Moravia and his native Bohemia. In 1892 he became the Musical Director of the National Conservatory of Music in America, and whilst in the USA composed one of his most well-known symphonies. (Many will remember the Hovis advert in the 1970s).
Dvorak was influenced by both native American music and African-American music and this is very much demonstrated in this symphony, as well as snippets of music from his native homeland. He wanted to bring together marginalized communities to share the love of music.
A few years ago, I listened to one of the Proms concerts conducted by Daniel Barenboim, an Argentine-Israeli pianist and conductor who founded the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra in 1999. The orchestra is made up of Arab and Israeli classical musicians from many different countries, who work to make music collaboratively together.
When asked about the orchestra this was his reply:
“The Divan is not a love story, and it is not a peace story. It has very flatteringly been described as a project for peace. It isn’t. It’s not going to bring peace, whether you play well or not so well. The Divan was conceived as a project against ignorance. A project against the fact that it is absolutely essential for people to get to know the other, to understand what the other thinks and feels, without necessarily agreeing with it. I’m not trying to convert the Arab members of the Divan to the Israeli point of view, and I’m not trying to convince the Israelis to the Arab point of view. But I want to create a platform where the two sides can disagree and not resort to knives.”
One of the things I enjoy about being part of an orchestra and playing my instrument (badly), is that we are there to enjoy ourselves, we are encouraged by a brilliant conductor who flatters us to get the best out of us, and we all work together in an attempt to play something that resembles the New World Symphony.
If only more places in the world could put their differences aside, could live together embracing rather than trying to eliminate diversity, we would all make the most beautiful melodies of God’s wonderful New World!