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The Voices of Bahá
The Voices of Bahá is a group of dedicated singers and musicians
from all parts of the world, who for sixteen years, in more than thirty
countries, have delighted audiences in auditoriums such as Carnegie
Hall in New York, the Mozart Concert House in Vienna, the
Tchaikovsky Concert Hall in Moscow and dozens of other fine venues
spanning four continents. They have performed and recorded with
the Warsaw Philharmonic, the Czech National Symphony, the
Budapest Symphony, the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, the
Maly Moscow Symphony, and their own orchestra in the United
States.
During the course of thirteen international tours they have performed
in most major cities of Eastern and Western Europe, the United
States, the Caribbean, and numerous countries in Asia, including
Japan, China, Taiwan, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore and Korea.
They have participated in international choral festivals and in 2003
won a Gold Prize in the Johannes Brahms International Choir
Competition in Germany.
The singers are followers of the Bahá’í Faith, and strive through
music to uplift the spirits of audiences, promoting the ideals of world
peace and the oneness of mankind. Often their concerts are in aid of
charitable causes.
First Tour to India
Musical director Tom Price is particularly thrilled to be taking the
group to India for the first time. Price has had a long-standing
admiration and love for Indian music. In 1986 he collaborated with
renowned Indian Composer Ravi Shankar in combining Indian and
western musical elements for the opening and dedication of the
Bahá'í House of Worship in New Delhi. During the 2010 tour Price
will rejoin Ravi Shankar’s vocal director, Ashit Desai, to recreate the
music performed at the Dedication of the House of Worship in 1986.
At that time Price and Desai conducted a group of more than 200
singers for several performances in celebration of the opening of the
Temple. Since that time this beautiful music has not been performed
as Ravi Shankar had conceived it, owing to the complexity of having
a large enough group of both Indian and Western singers.
The Concert Program
The music composed by Ravi Shankar was specially written
for a large unaccompanied choir, involving a blend of western
choral elements with classical Indian vocal melodies. Only by
combining a large group of Indian and western singers can this
music be performed. A professional recording will be recorded
in the Bahá’í House of Worship in New Delhi during the Voices
of Bahá tour in 2010.
Oratorio of Mankind
In addition, the tour will include the premiere an Oratorio of
Mankind, involving authentic vocal music of Africa, China,
Latin America, the Caribbean, India, Persia, Europe, and
African American Gospel in an extended work involving
soloists from each region of the world. Famous Chinese
and African-American Gospel director Van Gilmer are among
the soloists to be featured in the premiere of this exciting new
work.
