Keval Shah and Jess Dandy (image by Clare Park)
Program Notes
Godsongs is a song cycle that traces the journey of the Bhagavad Gita (literally translated as ‘god song’). Woven interstitially through Western art song, these original Sanskrit settings of verses from the Gita open a direct channel into the dialogue between Arjuna and Krishna on the eve of battle, and explores so many foundational teachings of Vedic philosophy at that weighty moment. Together with the Western art song, that tell portions of this story through a more Western lens, this program (called Eternity in an Hour) creates a multifaceted approach to this timeless narrative.
I wrote these songs in collaboration with contralto Jess Dandy and pianist Keval Shah — they were truly the masterminds behind this project, and it was such an honor to create this musical mosaic with them.
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For context and full list of songs, you can view the entire programme here.
While the full work is completely interstitial (so, songs dovetail into and out of the other selections), certain portions of Godsongs will be available separately soon — please stay tuned!
Recording
(forthcoming)
Special Performance Requirements
Text
portions of the Bhagavad Gita set in original Sanskrit
Audio Guides
not available yet
Premiere/Performances
This piece was commissioned by Oxford International Song Festival. It was premiered on October 15, 2024 by contralto Jess Dandy and pianist Keval Shah as part of Eternity in an Hour, at the Holywell Music Room in Oxford, UK.
Reviews
…the composer Reena Esmail’s new settings of the Hindu scripture were the heart of the programme. And Dandy’s performance of Esmail’s Godsongs was remarkable, not only because the vocal lines and her deeply expressive, richly hued contralto felt perfectly matched, but also because she seemed to embody the music, singing from a profound place.
Esmail’s blend of Indian and western classical styles felt integrated, exploiting the full range of Dandy’s voice, giving us drama and incantation, underpinned by an economical piano part full of pedal points and clusters of chords. If Dandy, who studied with a Hindustani singer in preparation, was driving the music forward, Shah was with her every step, an alert and thoughtful accompanist.
— Rebecca Franks, The Times
