The musical heritage of Wales and Oman came together in a new work by Cardiff-based composer John Meirion Rea at the first-ever Raneen Festival in Muscat last November. The collaboration, supported by the British Council in Wales and Oman alongside Wales Arts International, merged contemporary Welsh sound art with traditional Arabian music.
Working with Omani oud player Amal Waqar, Rea created "Celestial Bodies," an immersive soundscape using an eight-speaker sound system, to accompany Luke Jerram's 'Museum of the Moon' installation in the courtyard of the historic Bait Al Khonji house in Mutrah.
"The piece brings together my experiences of Omani life with musical elements inspired by my collaboration with Amal," says Rea. "The collaboration was a very important part of the process, where I combined her improvisations with my composition in a shared musical journey."
The installation merged Rea's sound-art techniques with traditional Arabic Maqam melodic modes, creating an immersive experience for the audience that responded to the suspended lunar installation and the architectural heritage of Mutrah, the old port of Muscat.
"I spent time in Mutrah before the festival, recording the textures of this historic area, including the liveliness of the Souq and the bustle of the surrounding streets," says Rea. His journey took him beyond the capital to record the traditional Dhow boat builders in Sur, the ancient potteries of Bahla, and the majestic Jebel Akhdar mountains and soundscapes of the Rub Al Khali desert.
The lunar theme carries deep significance in Omani culture. "The moon has many meanings in different cultures around the World," Rea explains. "The cycles of the moon are intertwined with faith; also, in the historic Omani seafaring traditions, including navigation, which along with the stars, the Bedouin use to traverse the desert."
The project drew inspiration from Jokha Alharthi's International Booker Prize-winning novel 'Celestial Bodies'. "The original Arabic title is literally translated as 'Ladies of the Moon', which is also a poetic metaphor for beauty," Rea notes. "I found the story of three sisters in the novel, and their struggles with tradition and modernity fascinating."
Working with the Oman Centre for Traditional Music archives, Rea wove in elements such as the "Nadbah" war cry and traditional "Al Nahma" seafaring songs. As a Welsh speaker, Rea was drawn to the connections between Arabic and Welsh pronunciations. "The musicality of language has always fascinated me," he explains, "and I found beauty in Omani dialects, and remarkable similarities in how both languages shape sound and expression."
The collaboration has already sparked interest in Welsh culture in the Gulf state, with Omani musicologist Zakariya Al Alawi even learning basic Welsh phrases during the project. "It's remarkable to see how our language, music, and culture can travel," says Rea. "We've started a conversation that could lead to more cultural exchanges between Wales and Oman."
Elena Schmitz, Head of Arts at British Council Wales, emphasises the significance of the collaboration: "This work is not only an exciting musical innovation but a great example of cultural bridge-building. The partnership between John and Amal demonstrates how bringing together diverse traditions can create powerful new forms of artistic expression."
The festival itself marked a significant moment for international artistic exchange in Oman. "The Raneen festival was very successful in fostering cultural exchange and helped to open up Oman's artistic community to international collaboration," Rea reflects. "You could see this happening in the way Omani and international artists worked together with The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth throughout the event. For me personally as an artist, it created meaningful dialogue with Luke Jerram and particularly with Omani Oud player Amal Waqar, along with my encounters within the country and culture itself, including the treasures in Oman Centre for Traditional Music archives."
The sound installation ran throughout the festival from 22-30 November, with special performances at dusk each evening. "It was very special to be invited to create 'Celestial Bodies' with Luke Jerram and to have an opportunity to share ideas and meet with contemporary Omani artists and musicians as part of Raneen," Rea concluded. "I feel that this is only the beginning of this creative conversation, and it would be very special to be able to share the work in Cymru/Wales in future."
This latest collaboration, part of the Raneen Festival curated by former Ffotogallery (Cardiff) Director David Drake, is part of the British Council's ongoing work in building connection, understanding and trust between people in the UK and overseas through arts and education.
