An evening of traditional Turkish Sufi music followed by the Mevlevi Sema Ceremony, performed by the Konya Metropolitan Municipality ensemble.
The Konya Metropolitan Municipality Turkish Sufi Music and Sema Ensemble are performing at Sadler's Wells Theatre on Monday 23 November, bringing the Mevlevi Sema Ceremony to London. The night is split into two parts: a concert of traditional Turkish Sufi music, followed by the Sema Ceremony itself, carried by the ney, the kudĂĽm and vocal recitation.
The whole thing is rooted in the spiritual and cultural legacy of Mevlânâ Jalâl al-Dîn Rûmî. The Mevlevi tradition weaves together poetry, music, contemplation and movement, and it's centred on the Sema Ceremony, where the measured turns of the semazens unfold to music, recitation and sacred poetry. UNESCO recognises the tradition as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and it draws on Konya, where Mevlânâ spent much of his life and whose mausoleum still stands. The ensemble works in the tradition's historical form, so the music and the ceremony you'll see are presented as they've been passed down.
Presenting the night is Yunus Emre EnstitĂĽsĂĽ - London, the Republic of TĂĽrkiye's official cultural institute, which has been building bridges between TĂĽrkiye and the UK since 2010 through more than 90 centres abroad. It's an independent hire, so it's not part of the Sadler's Wells season.
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Tickets start from ÂŁ15, with a ÂŁ4 transaction fee on top. The performance is at 7 pm on Monday 23 November at Sadler's Wells Theatre, Rosebery Avenue EC1R 4TN.
