Tekla Cunningham, baroque violin

• Ravi Albright, sitar

• Sampada Bhalerao, tabla

• Timothy Westerhaus, conductor

Reena Esmail — This Love Between Us: Prayers for Unity
Johann Sebastian Bach — Magnificat in D major, BWV 243

"Even more than uniting musical practices, this piece unites people from two different musical traditions: a sitar and tabla join the choir and baroque orchestra. Each of the musicians is asked to keep one hand firmly rooted in their own tradition and training, while reaching the other hand outward to greet another musical culture." – Reena Esmail

One of the most exciting voices in new music today, Indian-American composer Reena Esmail's work brings communities together through the creation of equitable musical spaces. Written in 2016, This Love Between Us: Prayers for Unity juxtaposes texts from seven different religious traditions, setting them in both English and in their original languages. Each movement is also a unique combination of Indian and Western classical styles, spanning a continuum from the Christian movement, which is rooted firmly in the baroque style, to the Zoroastrian movement, which calls upon the Hindustani vilambit bandish. With the exception of organ, and the addition of the sitar and tabla, This Love Between Us was written for the same Baroque orchestra as J.S Bach's Magnificat—thus the perfect partner piece. We are thrilled to be joined by the Seattle Bach Festival Orchestra, Tekla Cunningham (violin/Gounder/Director), Ravi Albright (tabla), and Sampada Bhalerao (sitar