Anthology of World Music: Lebanon I

This collection presents the vocal music of three distinctive Islamic religions: the Druse, the Matawila Shiites and the Hanafi Sunnites of Lebanon. Several of the pieces are described herein as "intimate conversations with God," and Western listeners may find a common point of reference in the Gregorian chant. The absolute vocal mastery displayed in these chants, hymns and prayers demands a synergy of religious knowledge, ritual, word and melody, enhanced with individual improvisation and embellishments.