Seaming To - voice
Irini Arabatzi - voice
Arun Ghosh - clarinet, keyboards, guitar
Mieko Shimizu - keyboards, harmonium, vocals
Camilla George - alto saxophone
Ruth Goller - electric bass
Davide Mantovani - double bass
Sarathy Korwar - drums, percussion
A spiritual jazz setting of St. Francis of Assisi’s sublime and beautiful prayer, The Canticle of the Sun, from award-winning clarinettist and composer Arun Ghosh.
Written in the Umbrian dialect in the 13th Century, The Canticle of the Sun expresses St. Francis’ all-encompassing love for the natural world, and for humanity.
His flowing verses call out in praise of our Celestial world: the Sun, the Moon and the Stars; our natural elements; Air, Water, Fire and Mother Earth; and the universal themes of Love, Devotion, Death and Peace.
Set across ten songs, Arun’s electro-acoustic reimagining of The Canticle of the Sun is mystical and joyful, contemporary and ancient.
Pure and other-worldly vocal melodies soar over the eight-piece ensemble’s pulsating, hypnotic rhythms, searching harmony and meditative ambient textures, revealing a transcendental sound world.
Sung in St. Francis’ original Umbrian text, alongside a chanted English translation, this is passionate, heartfelt and all-embracing new music; a love-song to life, nature and the Universe.
Sound UK produced the debut tour of The Canticle of the Sun in 2022. See tour dates and more info here. The tour was co-commissioned by Norfolk & Norwich Festival, and funded by Arts Council England and PRS Foundation.
Arun Ghosh is a British-Asian musician, bandleader and composer. Primarily known as a clarinettist, he also works as a composer for theatre, Musical Director and music educator.
His style embodies a multi-era / multi-genre approach; where numerous strands of jazz join forces with a myriad of musical influences: South-Asian, jungle, folk, ambient, blues, World….and beyond.
Twice awarded Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year at the Parliamentary Jazz Awards, Arun leads his own ensembles, touring nationally and internationally. He has released five albums on camoci records; his fifth, Seclused in Light was released in 2022 to immediate critical acclaim, accompanied by a national tour.
"I feel reborn after listening to this gorgeous jazz rendition in a 1000 year old venue.”
“The performance had both elements of familiarity in its spiritual jazz roots and something unique to Arun and the band. It had a transcendent feel about it.”
“So, so, so stunning!”
“Thanks to the gifted Arun Ghosh & his incredible composition I was transported into a dreamworld of acoustic life songs that was other worldly! Music hasn’t touched me like that for a long time – can’t recommend this concert enough!”
“…uproarious and irresistible” - Daily Telegraph
“Life-affirming music that transcends cultural barriers.” - Manchester Evening News
“If melody is a gift, Arun Ghosh might be the most gifted man in jazz.” - London Jazz News
“...extraordinary charisma and musicianship and a consistently riveting compositional skill” - Jazzwise
