el-helwa di (satb)

Program Note

The melody of the song El-Helwa Di was created by Egyptian composer Sayyid Darwish, (1892- 1923) in Egyptian Arabic, to lyrics by Badih Khayri. Torikian arranged this song for mixed chorus, a cappella, combining harmonic and contrapuntal styles, and rhythms and effects from different traditions. This song represents Egyptian life at the beginning of the twentieth century. Early in the morning, a beautiful woman wakes up to prepare the bread of the day. In the meantime, the sound of the rooster is heard—“ku ku ku ku”—and the entire neighborhood awakens. People begin to greet to each other happily. Their pockets are empty of money, but their mood is calm and peaceful, convinced that hope and patience are good virtues in life, and that God is always present in the hearts of poor people.

Edward Torikian and André de Quadros