Festival Opening

with Anja Fahlenkamp (Faiths In Tune)

and Freddie Matthews (British Museum)

Judaism

Alex Jacobowitz is an exceptionally talented artist and street performer from the Hassidic depths of Brooklyn, drawing the audience into Jewish mysticism and music with the unexpected sound and vibrations of his marimba.

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Gnosticism / Sufism

The Soveida Ensemble will share perform an ancient and long since forgotten form of Eastern music that has influenced the sounds of modern-day Persian Sufi music, playing on some of the oldest instruments created by man, including the Tanbour, Setar, Tar,   Daf, Tombak and Ney. This style of music is built upon specialised rhythms which are employed in the heart meditation technique.

Christianity

Hardly anyone can stay in their seats once the singers of the BIG get their musical extravaganza going. From the first Hallelujah to the last Amen, this choir conducted by the brilliant Becky Thomas and Andrea Encinas will make you feel the glory and believe that “He is alive!”

Buddhism

The London Buddhist Singers of the London Buddhist Centre aim to develop Buddhist music with a Western voice, combining traditional Buddhist mantra chanting with pieces from the Western choral tradition and some newly composed music.

Buddhism

Burmese artist Htike Yadana will present the traditional Buddhist "Peacock Dance" from Myanmar.

Religious traditions of Polynesia

The London Hula Dancers showcase the beautiful dances and drumming rituals practiced in animist and polytheist faith traditions on the Pacific isles, including Hawai'i and Tahiti.

Humanism

The London Humanist Choir is a non-auditioned London-based choir is the musical representation of the "British Humanist Association" which sings non-religious music in order to promote humanism and humanist arts.

Buddhism

Khaita is based on the songs of young contemporary Tibetan singers celebrating their profound culture and spiritual knowledge. Students of Dzogchen master Choegyal Namkhai Norbu sing and dance Khaita to cultivate relaxed presence in movement, harmony and joy, as well as to support Tibetan culture and knowledge. 

Candomblé

Ilê Asè Odé Kaidefã and Ricardo Axé from Brazil will present the Afro-Brazilian religion of Candomblé with traditional chanting, drumming and dancing.

Christianity

The London International Gospel Choir, led by Naveen Arles, is an energetic open community choir that unites young people from all different backgrounds to sing modern gospel and other music together.

Hinduism

Members of the Bhavan Centre, led by Katrina Rute, share dances that tell stories about the lives of Hindu Gods . The dances are based on Hindu philosophical concepts that find their reflection in movements.

Interfaith

Sacred Sounds

Sacred Sounds is a group of female acapela singers, led by Saara Hasan. The group performs a a rich repertoire of songs drawing on diverse religious and cultural traditions, including Vedic Bhajans in Sanskrit and hymns in Hebrew, English, Spanish and Arabic drawn from Jewish, Christian and Sufi Muslim traditions.

Islam

Young British-Iraqi artist Safe Adam was inspired on his pilgrimage to Mecca, "hajj", to combine his musical talent with his Muslim faith. The singer-songwriter will share songs of Peace, Positivity and Faith.

Buddhism

The London Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple will share the music and meditation practices of Mahayana Buddhism from Taiwan and China.

Shintoism / Shinji Shumeikai

The modern Japanese interfaith spiritual fellowship Shumei has developed the "Jyorei" practice to achieve spiritual healing. At this performance, members of Shumei will present a mix of opera, Taiko drumming and Shumei's "Amatsunorito" chant.

Sikhism

The Raj Academy teaches and performs classical Sikh music from India in the UK and abroad.

Judaism

The Zemel choir sings in Hebrew, Yiddish, Ladino and English from a wide repertoire, including liturgical music and Jewish folk music.

Islam

The SOAS Silk Road Collective, led by SOAS music professor Rachel Harris, performs music and dance of the Islamic communities of Central Asia, bringing together artists from Uyghur, Uzbek, Iranian, Arab, Indian and Tajik backgrounds.

Buddhism

Justin Senryu Williams is a Shakuhachi master and will share pieces played with a variety of shakuhachi. Shakuhachi flute music is a channel of meditation in Japanese Zen Buddhism to help practitioners achieve transcendence.

Judaism

The Israeli Dance Institute performs Jewish folk dances from Israel, showcasing the cultural diversity within Judaism as represented in the varying regional origins – such as Western European, Eastern European, Yemenite or Moroccan – of the different Jewish sub-communities and their respective dance traditions.

Mevlevi Sufism

Mevlevi dervish turning, part of the ceremony known as Mukabele or Sema, founded by the 13th century Sufi mystic Mevlana Jalal-uddin Rumi. Mevlevi dervish Tomo Goto from The Study Society will share part of the traditional whirling dance ritual, accompanied by singer and musician Julia Katarina. 

Islam

Esra Akkaya

Esra Akkaya shares traditional Muslim Sufi prayers from Turkey.

Hinduism

Kirtan London, composed of members of the London Radha Krishna Temple (ISKCON), is best known for singing mantras such as the Maha Mantra (“Hare Krishna”) in joyful street processions.

Sikhism

Siri sings and plays music based on the Kundalini Yoga Tradition, which is sure to lift you up and calm you down at the same time with Siri's strong charisma, radiating glow and beautiful purity.

Interfaith

Julia Katarina, Eliorah Goodman and Saara Hasan share a unique repertoire exploring the relations between Jewish and Muslim Music with Voice, Oud and Flute. Jewish songs and music from the Klezmer tradition and Arabic songs from the Muslim tradition are set alongside Sefardic Songs in Ladino, which have their origins in Andalusia and celebrate a time when there was a wonderful mixing of cultural idioms and when Jewish, Christian and Muslim communities lived alongside each other.