You lack a foot to travel?
Then journey into yourself
And like a mine of rubies
Receive the sunbeams' print!
Out of yourself-such a journey
Will lead you to your self,
It leads to transformation
Of dust into pure gold!
—Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi (1207-1273)
translated by Annemarie Schimmel
This project, a collaboration with the Turkish Cultural Center, sent violinists Ashley Buckley and William Harvey and cellist Robin Ryczek to Turkey from June 17 to June 27, 2007. In Istanbul, they performed outreach concerts at various psychiatric hospitals and collaborated with the Dünya Renkleri Korosu to present a highly successful benefit concert for the renowned humanitarian organization Kimse Yok Mu. They also traveled to Konya, where the whirling dervish ceremony originated as a result of the teachings of Mevlana Celaluddin Rumi over 700 years ago. During the ceremony, the dervishes turn around and around as a symbol of their unity with creation, while the musicians play ecstatic Sufi music on oud, ney, kanun, and drums. While in Konya, Ashley and Robin shattered an ancient historical barrier by becoming the first women ever to join male musicians in accompanying the ceremony in Konya. Project VII was generously underwritten by the Turkish Cultural Center and the McGraw-Hill Companies.
Please check out Ashley's travelogue and William's account of the whirling dervish ceremony: "Should Women Play Music With Men?"
We appeared on TV several times: Guncel Haber, and Samanyolu Haber. Here is the video of a rehearsal for the whirling dervish ceremony. Here is a video of our benefit concert for Kimse Yok Mu.
Thank you to the following organizations and individuals for their invaluable contributions to Project VII:- The Turkish Cultural Center in New York, for connecting us to everyone in Turkey and generously underwriting so much of the costs. In particularly, thank you to Haldun Yavas and Erdogan Dur for their extraordinary efforts on our behalf.
- Everyone at Bakiad in Istanbul for offering their knowledge, friendship, assistance, and hospitality: Levent Tanyas, Hüseyin Peker, Koray Kanbur, and Mehmet Kilic.
- The good folks at Kimse Yok Mu for being open to the idea of our benefit concert for them and for joining us for dinner: Ercan Ülgür, Secretary General of the Istanbul branch; and Alaaddin Karacali, Director of the Istanbul branch
- Ersan Dogan, for being a fantastic guide and friend for us
- The musicians of the Dünya Renkleri Korosu in Istanbul, for giving so selflessly of their time, artistry, and expertise: Mehmet and Ülkü Kaya, Pinar Dalan, Güvena Saraç, and Özgür Koban
- Nuri Soner Guven and Mustafa Konukcu, for overseeing the coordination of our work in Konya
- The musicians in Konya, for rehearsing with us and for their courage in performing the sema with the first integrated group of musicians in the history of the ceremony in Konya: Abdürrahim Kahya, Özgür Ulas Yigit, Mithat Cömlekci, Yusuf Crokünlü, and Ahmet Yasin Yeksan
- Hatice Özbilgiç and Mr. Ali Naci Özbilgiç for hosting us for dinner in Konya
- Orhan Sevsar, for the Turkish music lesson on Heybeli Island
- Ellen Jewett, concertmistress of the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra and first violinist with the Audubon String Quartet, for her invaluable assistance
- Hans Pluhar, luthier, for the loan of his magnificent viola
- Michael Ellison, for graciously providing us with a copy of his vibrant and exciting Duo for Violin and Cello
- Eymen Ucisik and Dursun Hoca, for joining us to make music at the two psychiatric hospitals we visited
- William's old friends Murat Yilmaz and Ibrahim Yilmaz (no relation), for coming through when we needed them
