Muslim choral music? There are numerous examples of group singing in the Muslim world, almost all of which is non-notated. Many of these group singing genres date back several centuries, such as the genre of Arab music called the muwashshahat, a song tradition that started in Muslim Spain and has continued vigorously until modern times. While there are numerous examples of Muslim group singing, notated part-singing is a product of colonization, Westernization, Christianization, and now globalization. It is becoming increasingly popular for composers in the Muslim world to arrange and compose music for the Western-style choir, and this collection serves to introduce participants to the breadth of Muslim culture, some Muslim songs, and the great diaspora of music of the Muslim world through a selection of pieces from different social, and cultural contexts. |
