The Trilogy by Saied Silbak

The Trilogy by Saied Silbak
(Orchestrated by Tim Pottier & Saied Silbak)

The themes of The Trilogy emerged naturally through the process of composing its words and music. Love, money, and family, culminating in the form of a baby's lullaby: the essence of life.

Commissioned by PalMusic UK for its 10th anniversary, Silbak’s trilogy opens with a song about love, performed as a duet alongside vocalist Amena Al Abed and percussionist Hanen Kiwan, accompanied by St. Paul’s Sinfonia under the baton of Wissam Boustani. The piece was recorded at Southwark Cathedral in London.

The lyrics of the first song reflect both the romantic and realistic aspects of love and relationships - experiences gathered along the way. It begins with love’s enchantment, where laughter, conversation, and even movements synchronize. Your new love becomes your world - earth, sky, and everything in between. As time passes, friends enter the picture, daily tasks are shared, and in Arabic culture, parents become deeply involved. The song offers a realistic yet hopeful perspective on love.

The second piece is a song that explores money - its evolution in name and form, and its profound impact on people. The song traces trade's origins: one grower has a garden full of pomegranates, another cultivates almonds. Initially, they barter, exchanging goods directly. But as their families and villages expand, they seek a more practical way to manage trade - thus, money is born. People realize they can save it for tomorrow, but when tomorrow arrives, its value has diminished, so they crave more. Yet greed is not the fault of money itself - it is part of human nature. The lesson is to use wealth wisely rather than be consumed by it.

The trilogy concludes with Yullabye, an instrumental lullaby. The term, drawn from the Palestinian dialect, refers to a farewell - a departure. This delicate melody is carefully crafted to be sweet, beautiful, and complete, accompanied by interwoven harmonies designed to create a sonic hypnosis - one that gently lulls a baby to sleep.

Saied Silbak is a Palestinian composer and oud player. He began training in classical piano at the age of four, before moving onto the oud in his early teens to delve deep into the nuances at the base of Arabic music. Silbak has a unique understanding of different types of music, from Arabic, Turkish and Indian to classical Western styles.

saiedsilbak.com
Instagram
open.spotify.com
YouTube