9/11 Tributes Worldwide: Time Zone 19
Bangkok, Thailand
The Orpheus Choir is Bangkok's full-time chorus, attached to the Bangkok Opera, performing regularly with the Bangkok Symphony and other orchestras. It was formed after September 11, 2001 because the Thai government commissioned Thailand's leading composer, Somtow Sucharitkul, to compose a large work as a gift to the victims of the 9/11 disaster.
The Orpheus Choir's members come from 15 countries. They are Thai musicians and ex-patriates who are in many cases professional singers who gave up their career to follow a spouse to a job in Thailand.
Somtow Sucharitkul, the choir's founder and director, is considered Thailand's most prominent composer and information about him can be found at http://www.somtow.com.
The theme of our performance was one of conciliation and hope. It was very important that I, as a Buddhist putting on the concert, invited one of Thailand's most prominent Muslim politicians to introduce the concert, and that his introduction was followed by a prayer by the Mother Superior of the Convent, who asked that those had performed those horrible acts be led to understand what they had done and in the end find forgiveness and mercy. The performers in the Orpheus Choir come from many different countries and many countries that did not have a Rolling Requiem concert (the last time I checked) were represented in our choir ... countries like Germany, France, Malaysia, Norway, and Scotland.
Rehearsal Photos:
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