It's time again for the Fez Festival of World Sacred Music. The city is abuzz with activity and tourists and of course, a fantastic variety of world famous sacred music. This year Fez is also celebrating 1200 years of Moroccan history and culture. All around the city one can see the effects of all the efforts to beautify Fez for this special anniversary year. Fountains, lights, flowers and parks - the city is all spruced up for the enjoyment of residents and visitors alike.
The site at Bab Makina has undergone a facelift, too, with fresh paint
and repairs on the old walls and gates and new vendor's booths in place
of the former tents. A traditional Moroccan tea service with
complimentary glasses of tea for festival-goers was set up in the grand
pavilion in the center of the courtyard.
Opening night at Bab Makina featured a powerful performance by American
soprano Jessye Norman accompanied by the Lyric Regional Orchestra of
Provence (France), Rachel Worby conducting. HRH Lalla Salma attended
the performance, making the evening a very special event.
Ms Worby and the Lyric Orchestra opened with the Allegretto from
Beethoven's 7th, followed by Bach's Magnificat and two pieces from
Handel's Messiah sung by Ms Norman. As the evening progressed, other
selections included an instrumental piece from the film Schlinder's
List with a lovely violin, a hauntingly melodic intermezzo, Cavalleria
Rusticana, and an American traditional favorite Swing Low, Sweet
Chariot. Ms Norman sang a particularly beautiful version of Amazing
Grace. She closed the evening with He Has the Whole World in His Hands
for her encore performance.
Saturday is the start of the outdoor late afternoon performances at Dar
Batha and Bab Boujloud. The 4:30 performance at Dar Batha features
Ghada Shbeir and Chants from the Eastern Christian Churches. The
kick-off performance on the plaza at Bab Boujloud, always well-attended
by city residents, will feature Moroccan singer Haja Hamdouia, a
trail-blazing artist who elevated the popular music genre of Ait
Marsawiya to an art form.
The Saturday night performance at Bab Makina will be Qawwali Gospels, a
cross-cultural event featuring Sacred African American and SufiChants
with Craig Adams and the Voices of New Orleans and Faiz Ali Faiz and
his ensemble (Pakistan).
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