Requiem for Aleppo at Sadler's Wells

Aleppo stands as a potent symbol of the tragedy that is the Syrian civil war. One of the Middle East’s oldest centres (it is referenced in Shakespeare’s Othello, for example), it used to be Syria’s second largest city, with upwards of two million inhabitants.

It was an important centre of commerce and finance, and the old town is a UNESCO world heritage site.

The increasingly savage Syrian civil war, now entering its sixth year, has put paid to all that. Most of the city’s irreplaceable old buildings have been reduced to rubble. Worse still, the population, split between the rebel-held east and the government-held west, suffered appalling deprivation; and they continue to do so, even though government forces are now in control of the whole city.

It is on behalf of the people of Aleppo that an international group of dancers and musicians have come together under the directorship of composer David Cazalet and choreographer Jason Mabana in Requiem for Aleppo, a special charity performance at London’s Sadler’s Wells.

Twelve dancers from countries as far apart as Italy, South Korea and Canada, to mention but a few, will perform to an original score which combines the words of the Christian Requiem Mass set to choral music, linked by extracts from medieval Arabic poetry.

The score for Requiem for Aleppo is interwoven throughout with the voices of the people of Aleppo telling their stories.

Ticket proceeds from the Sadler’s Wells première and any future performances will go to two Syrian charities: Syria Relief and Techfugees.

In addition, this performance is being relayed live to many destinations around the world that are now home to large numbers of Syrian refugees, where further fund-raising events will be taking place.

The sheer creativity and originality of the programme promises a memorable evening with the added satisfaction of helping a good cause.