“Strident, strange and often violent but also full of exuberance and joy, “Tell es-Sakan” (Hill of Ash) is a protest, pacifist, concert-length piece for string quartet and percussion. Intended as a ballet, motivated by the current war in Gaza, and named after the oldest known settlement in the area, it follows on one side a couple that meets, falls in love, vows trust to each other, and on the other the War Machine, an ominous presence that eventually takes over in a fury of destruction. The piece comes from a place of sorrow and yearning for a better human future.”
–Davide Verotta
Played by the Friction String Quartet, and Haruka Fujii and Anne Szabla, percussion.