Music / Falasteen in Song, Ayşe Göknur Shanal, soprano. At the Embassy of the Republic of Türkiye, Yarralumla, April 18. Reviewed by LEN POWER.

Soprano Ayşe Göknur Shanal has won many prestigious awards and scholarships in Australia and overseas. She has performed widely in the US, UK, Europe and Asia including Opera Australia, Turkish State Opera and Opera Queensland.

She was accompanied by John Robinson, oud and guitar, Tarik Hüseyin, kanun, and Faruq Bin Buchari, percussion.

In the embassy’s beautiful Lalezar Hall, the seated audience surrounded the performers on all sides, giving the concert, Falasteen in Song, sub-titled “a concert in human solidarity with the Palestinian people, especially in Gaza”, a strong sense of community.

Shanal sang Palestinian and Turkish songs, both traditional and contemporary. There were laments and songs of homeland and childhood, as well as songs of struggle and loss. 

Each song was preceded by translations given by Shanal and her rich soprano voice gave the songs a clarity of emotion that was quite moving.

The atmospheric accompaniment of the Turkish instruments added immeasurably to the effect of the songs. 

Briefly joining the instrumentalists on the oboe was guest, Laith Ismael, an esteemed woodwind performer who has worked with the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra. Another guest performed a duet with Shanal.

Many of the songs were known to the audience who joined in the choruses, the warmth in their voices adding further to the moving communal spirit of the evening.