CHAMBERS & CONCERTOS Chamber & Concertos encompasses a collection of chamber works and two concertos, one for saxophone and the other for piano. It features prominent artists. The first nine pieces presented were performed in the concert Reflections on the River Nile: The Music of Halim El-Dabh, sponsored by The Rocky River (Ohio) Chamber Music Society. The last two pieces entitled Surrr-Rah are a piano concerto performed by Tuyen Tonnu and The Kent State University Orchestra under the baton of Frank Wiley. Misri-yaat with El-Dabh on piano was first written when he was eleven years old and revised by him ever since. In Aapep and Ra, Bryan Thomas expresses his artistic command of the string bass while El-Dabh narrates the struggle between the gods Aapep and Ra and between positive and negative energies on the earth. Strings feature prominently into this concert with pieces performed by The Hausmann String Quartet. Written by El-Dabh in Egypt is the piece Aria for Strings, in Boston, Two Minutes for Strings, and during his residency at the Berkshire Music Festival in Tanglewood, Massachusetts he wrote String Quartet No.1. The Pomegranate Concerto, written by El-Dabh especially for this concert, wails with breath taking beauty under the mastership of saxophonist Greg Banaszak. The concert wraps with Egyptian Calypso, which originally appeared as a steel drum piece, adapted here for strings, saxophone and congas. Surrr-Rah: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, brings the CD to a finale. El-Dabh has composed a total of six symphonic works, ten operas, and numerous chamber and solo pieces. His works have been performed on all continents. CHAMBERS & CONCERTOS Reflections on the River Nile: The Music of Halim El-Dabh The Rocky River Chamber Music Society Nov. 19, 2007 1. Misri-yaat (1932 to present) 5:57 Halim El-Dabh 2. Aapep And Ra (2004) 9:34 Halim El-Dabh - vocal & Bryan Thomas - bass 3. Two Minutes Trio for Strings (1956) 1:45 Isaac Allen - violin, Lauren Burns - viola, Yuan Zhang-cello 4. String Quartet no.1 Metamorphosis and Fugue I. Folklore (1951) 2:00 Hausmann String Quartet 5. String Quartet no.1 Metmorhosis and Fugue V. Lento misterioso (1951) 1:56 Hausmann String Quartet 6. String Quartet no.1 Metamorphosis and Fugue II. Allegro on brio (1951) 1:31 Hausmann String Quartet 7. Aria For Strings (1949) 2:09 Hausmann String Quartet 8. The Pomegranate Concerto (2007) 14:46 Greg Banaszak - saxophone, Bryan Thomas - bass, Hausmann String Quartet 9. Egyptian Calypso (2006) 1:54 Greg Banaszak - saxophone, Bryan Thomas - bass, Hausmann String Quartet, Brian Klempp - congas Surrr-Rah: Concerto for Piano & Orchestra The Kent State University Orchestra & Tuyen Tonnu - piano November 19, 2000 10. Surrr-Rah The Belly Amidst the Satellites (2000) 9:15 Tuyen Tonnu - piano & Kent State University Orchestra 11. Surrr-Rah It Is What It Is (2000) 7:46 Tuyen Tonnu - piano & Kent State University Orchestra Thanks to David Badagnani and Jean Stell for organization!