Rediscovering Music and Chant of the Middle East
The music of Ancient Echoes is drawn primarily from the work of Jewish musicologist Abraham Zvi Idelsohn (1882-1938). He found startling similarities among the chants sung by various tribes of Jews from around the world who, living in strict isolation, had no contact with one another after leaving Israel/Palestine in the 1st century. To quote the Harvard Dictionary of Music in reference to Idelsohn’s work: “Therefore, these melodies probably antedate the destruction of the Temple and have been preserved for 2000 years with only slight alterations. They thus are thought to approximate very closely the Jewish chant of the pre-Christian era.” SAVAE uses these ancient Hebrew melodies, as collected by Idelsohn, in its arrangements.

Language & Dialects
In order to approximate the ancient dialects of Hebrew and Aramaic, SAVAE’s pronunciation is based on hundreds of hours of study with Hallelujah Khalil Kahlil, an Egyptian phonetics coach. Kahlil specializes in a dialect of Arabic from the Babylonian region of Iraq that has been carefully preserved through a tradition of Qur’anic recitation dating to 700 C.E. Babylonian Jews represent the oldest continuous Jewish settlement outside Israel/Palestine known to history. SAVAE members studied Hebrew with several teachers including Rabbi Monty Eliasov. The ensemble’s study of Aramaic—the lingua franca of the Middle East in the 1st century—was primarily through the work of Dr. Neil Douglas-Klotz, who provided education and inspiration.

Performance Practice & Instruments
SAVAE members had three years to work with Middle Eastern instruments, learn from native players, and adopt an entirely new style of playing. The instruments were selected in accordance with the most recent archeological findings blended with known regional tradition.

Additional Info
SAVAE Tours with Sacred Music of the Ancient World:Concert ...
How a Jewish Musicologist, a French Code-Cracker, and a Sufi Murshid ...
Background Facts on "Ancient Echoes" Repertoire and CD
Notes and Origins of "Ancient Echoes" Tracks

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