Several mystical tales attribute a divine origin to music recounting that the soul, whose very nature is celestial, refused to take form, but was seduced by the voice of an angel ordered by God to settle inside the body so as to attract it there. It is now trapped inside the body, but has kept a nostalgia for its origins ever since it was parted from them.

Noureddine Khourchid, born in Damascus, is the son of Abu al-Nur, sheikh of the Shâdhiliyya Sufi order in Damascus. He’s considered today as one of the greatest reciter of the Koran.

Khourchid’s ensemble features two Mevlevi dancers and seven Munshid (religious singers) from the Shâdhiliyya Order. Instrumental accompaniment from the Arab lute oud and frame drums support the fervent singing – an evening that promises a deep breath of spirituality.