Sacred defense is flowing in my veins

“Chants for love and peace” a symphonic poem composed and presented by surgeon/musician Shahryar Kohanzad and conducted by Nader Mortezapour, has been performed by Tehran Symphony Orchestra in Talar-e Vahdat from Sept. 20 to 21.

The event, marking the anniversary of Iran-Iraq war, was sponsored and organized by the relief and welfare fund of the Islamic Republic Medical Council and Iran Music Association, agencies report.

The performance included symphonic poems “Vigilance”, “Fusion”, “Birth of an Extraterrestrial Love”, “Beast and Beauty”, “Magnificence of Love”, “And the War Goes On”, “Eyewitness to War”, “Children of Universe”, “Descent”, and “Hero of my Heart” declaimed and chanted by Kohanzad both in Farsi and English.

At the end of the performance Kohanzad seized the opportunity to speak to the audience, many his colleagues, about his days at war.

“I went to war as a physician conscript and served in the Soosanguerd Front,” he said. “I have a clear understanding of the war, as I feel it from the depth of my heart.”

In another occasion prior to the performance, the surgeon/musician had said: “I have been lucky enough to serve 20 months as a physician in the sacred defense. It was not a formality, but it was a real experience where you had to protect yourself against chemical weapons wearing masks and anti-gas garments.”

“You should know, I understand it with my flesh and bones.”

Describing his composition, Kohanzad said that the work was a combination of two modern symphonic poems put together and unified under a single formation.

The main theme of his composition, he said, was a message of peace for the people of the world.

“It describes the ugliness of wars.”   

Kohanzad said that more than everything he was proud of his country Iran and his language Farsi.

“But when you are going to address one billion world people, you should use an international language like English, because as an artist if you fail to express your ideas, you are nothing but a dumb.”

“As an artist if you have something to convey to others you will have no choice, but to use appropriate forms and words.”

“The sacred war is flowing in my veins. By composing the symphonic poems, I have just tried to humbly do my responsibility. During my days at the front and during the Operation Karbala – 6 a soldier named Kambiz died in my arms. I recreated the tragic event by composing a piece titled The Love Harvest Season.”

The followings are some of the symphonic poems presented in the Chants for Love and Peace:

SOURCE: Fars and ISNA news agencies
http://www.shahryarcohanzad.com/Artistic-Lyrircs.html

Translator: Reza Bahar