13159 THE MUSIC OF ISLAM (SAMPLER) - VARIOUS ARTISTS

Ten years probably felt like a thousand to Celestial Harmonies while they traveled to North Africa, the Middle East, and Indonesia, recording material for an impressive fifteen–volume collection of Islamic Folk and Classical music, from which this disc takes fifteen extracts. It starts with a Turkish–sung recitation of part of the Qu'ran. After Iranian, Moroccan and Egyptian songs and instrumentals,a Whirling Dervish ritual and a great Yemeni oud song, comes a Pakistan raga in the Hindustani vocal tradition—a definite high point. From Indonesia, there's a great drum and clapping song with a beautiful call and response. After some austere Tunisian bagpiping, the disc ends with a spine–rattling Moroccan Sufi ceremony with oboes (raitas) and drums, sounding similar to Brain Jones' Pipes Of Pan At Jajouka. Producer David Parsons chose to record this ritual in a live setting rather than the studio, squarely facing the logistical problems in miking an area with people falling off into trances. The substantial liner notes include an entire chapter from a book on Islam which goes into extensive detail about its musical history, techniques, modes, instruments, ties to religion, theory and performance. Also included is an article on Islamic history from The Cambridge Illustrated History Of The Islamic World. Hats off to the civilized people who kept Classical culture alive while Europe was slumbering a thousand years ago, and to Celestial Harmonies for laboring long and hard over this substantial piece of work. The Music of Islam is probably the final word on the subject for a long, long time.

• David Paul