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Collaboration Spotlights

MCE collaborates with the local minority Mus-
Muslim Choral Ensemble lim community and international choirs locally and
Submitted by: André de Quadros abroad. In 2018, MCE engaged in intercultural work
Location: Sri Lanka at the Yale International Choral Festival.
https://muslimchoralensemble.com
Program or Project Title:
Muslim Choral Ensemble Resounding Achord Productions and

San José State University
Submitted by: Kristina Nakagawa
Location: San Jose, CA
www.resoundingachord.org

Program or Project Title:
Summer Conducting Lab

The Muslim Choral Ensemble is the world’s first
and only choir that is exclusively devoted to the collec-
tive singing of devotional traditions of Islam. MCE’s
mission transcends the mere presentation of spiritual
performances; rather, it encapsulates a profound com-
mitment to inspiring audiences to appreciate the intri-
cacies and beauty inherent in Islamic devotional music
while preserving cultural integrity. This dedication is
underscored by the ensemble’s efforts to revive endan- The Summer Conducting Lab, started in 2015, is a
gered traditions within the contemporary context. The partnership between Resounding Achord Productions
ensemble is partly anchored in the intricate composi- (RAP) and San José State University’s Three-Summer
tions and devotional poetry inherent in repertoires from Master’s Program that gives conductors-in-training an
the Sufi mystical tradition of Islam, which was once a opportunity to work with a choir in a rehearsal setting,
vibrant expression of spirituality, and now contend with gaining valuable podium time and real-time feedback.
potential disappearance due to modernization. The sessions are held in the parish hall at a local Epis-
copal Church, where Resounding Achord regularly re-
What is the most successful aspect of the project? hearses, and gives singers in the area an opportunity to
continue singing during a season when most organiza-
The ensemble has succeeded in launching the World tions are on their summer break.
Muslim Choral Ensemble in 2022, attracting instru- During the six two-hour sessions, three to five con-
mentalists and singers from various countries. ductors work with the all-volunteer choir, comprising
adult singers from across Silicon Valley. Occasionally
What is the collaborative element of your project? high school and college-age singers participate. Con-
ductors are students in the master’s program, current

74 CHORAL JOURNAL October 2024 Volume 65 Number 3