Conductor I-Jen Fang & the UVA Percussion Ensemble Perform Khamsa

Khamsa was commissioned by the UVA Percussion Ensemble and its director I-Jen Fang on the occasion of their tenth anniversary and recorded it on their album Speed of Sound. The title, Khamsa, which means ‘five’ in Arabic, refers to an ancient palm-shaped amulet that has been used as a sign of protection against the ‘evil eye.’ It has meaning in all three Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam, though it predated all of them. During a time of turmoil in the Mideast and Africa, still ongoing, I chose this title and designed a structure based on the five digits as a way of expressing hope for better times ahead, for protection for all people against intolerance based on religious creed and ethnicity. Each of the five members of the quintet represents the fingers of the open palm. The music is intensely dramatic, with powerful gestures to ward off evil. For more information, visit www.judithshatin.com.