Everyday Wonders: The Girl from Aleppo tells the extraordinary story of Nujeen Mustafa, a Syrian teenager forced by war to flee her home and make a long and arduous journey to Europe with her sister, further complicated by cerebral palsy having confined her to a wheelchair. It sets a specially-written text by Kevin Crossley-Holland and is in three sections: 'Orphans of the World', centred on Nujeen's family life in Aleppo; 'My Journey', an account of a refugee's perilous route across borders and waters; and 'Everyday Wonders', where the teenager reflects on the 'everyday' joys of her new life. In response to the vivid text, McDowall has employed a wealth of musical effects, including rhythmic spoken sections, unpitched vocalizations depicting aircraft and gunfire, and a solo violin part is infused with Middle Eastern flavours. The prevailing mood of Nujeen's story is embodied by the final line of a chorale that opens and closes this unique concert work: 'singing the song of life itself'. |
