Naresh Sohal
Encyclopedia
Naresh Sohal was born in 1939 in Punjab
, Northern India. He is the first and one of the few accomplished Indian-born composers of western classical music. He is the first composer in this tradition ever to make settings of texts in Sanskrit
, Punjabi
and Bengali
(although he has also made many settings in English). He was the first composer ever to be offered an annual bursary by the Arts Council of Great Britain
. And he is the first Non Resident Indian (NRI) ever to be awarded a Padma Shri
(Order of the Lotus) by the Indian Government.
Although Sohal writes in the Western idiom, his extensive range of compositions shows a long-standing and serious commitment to the insights of Hindu
philosophy.
Sohal is largely self-educated, but received support from composer and teacher Jeremy Dale Roberts. He became a copyist at Boosey and Hawks, the music publishers, and began composing in earnest. He had his first work, Asht Prahar, performed at a Society for the Promotion of New Music (SPNM) concert in 1970. Since then, he has gone on to produce over sixty works. These include the 'Poems of Tagore
' the vast 'Wanderer' for chorus, orchestra and baritone soloist; 'Gautama Buddha', a ballet on the life of Buddha
, performed in Houston, Texas
and at the Edinburgh International Festival
in 1989; a chamber opera, Madness Lit by Lightning; violin and viola concertos and a range of chamber works. He has written a number of scores for film and TV, and produced a collection of contemporary ghazals.
Sohal's works have been performed both nationally and internationally. Artistes who have performed them include Jane Manning
and Sally Silver, sopranos; David Wilson-Johnson, baritone; Xue Wei, violin; Barry Buy, double bass; Rivka Golani, viola; Rohan de Saram, 'cello; the ConTempo, Dante and Edinburgh quartets; the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra under Sir Andrew Davis, and the New York Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta. Recent performances of his work have taken place at the Dartington and Spitalfields festivals in the UK. In 2006, he was a guest of the Pan-Asian Music Festival at Stanford University, USA, where his 'Songs of the Five Rivers' was performed.
In 1987, Sohal was awarded a Padma Shri (Order of the Lotus) by the Indian government for his services to music. He currently lives in London where he is working on a piece for narrator and orchestra. The work focuses on the central message of the 'Bhagavad Gita' which concerns fulfilling one's responsibilities in the face of difficult choices.
Punjab (British India)
Punjab was a province of British India, it was one of the last areas of the Indian subcontinent to fall under British rule. With the end of British rule in 1947 the province was split between West Punjab, which went to Pakistan, and East Punjab, which went to India...
, Northern India. He is the first and one of the few accomplished Indian-born composers of western classical music. He is the first composer in this tradition ever to make settings of texts in Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
, Punjabi
Punjabi language
Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...
and Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
(although he has also made many settings in English). He was the first composer ever to be offered an annual bursary by the Arts Council of Great Britain
Arts Council of Great Britain
The Arts Council of Great Britain was a non-departmental public body dedicated to the promotion of the fine arts in Great Britain. The Arts Council of Great Britain was divided in 1994 to form the Arts Council of England , the Scottish Arts Council, and the Arts Council of Wales...
. And he is the first Non Resident Indian (NRI) ever to be awarded a Padma Shri
Padma Shri
Padma Shri is the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan...
(Order of the Lotus) by the Indian Government.
Although Sohal writes in the Western idiom, his extensive range of compositions shows a long-standing and serious commitment to the insights of Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
philosophy.
History
From an early age, Sohal showed an interest in popular music, his tastes being influenced by the broadcasts of All India Radio and Radio Ceylon. He did not come from a musical family, but his father, Des Raj, was an Urdu poet of some reputation and poets often held gatherings at the family home. By the time Sohal reached college, he had acquired a harmonica, and become a versatile performer of rock and roll and Indian film songs, and once entertained the President of India. His fist encounter with Western classical music came in Bombay, where he heard Beethoven's Eroica symphony on the radio during the monsoon. He determined to learn more about how such music was created. His resolve hardened when an Indian musician refused to teach him Indian classical music on the mouth organ. In 1962, he left India for the United Kingdom, intending to find a way to learn to write western music.Sohal is largely self-educated, but received support from composer and teacher Jeremy Dale Roberts. He became a copyist at Boosey and Hawks, the music publishers, and began composing in earnest. He had his first work, Asht Prahar, performed at a Society for the Promotion of New Music (SPNM) concert in 1970. Since then, he has gone on to produce over sixty works. These include the 'Poems of Tagore
Gitanjali
Gitanjali is a collection of 103 English poems, largely translations, of the Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore.This volume became very famous in the West, and was widely translated....
' the vast 'Wanderer' for chorus, orchestra and baritone soloist; 'Gautama Buddha', a ballet on the life of Buddha
Buddha
In Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...
, performed in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
and at the Edinburgh International Festival
Edinburgh International Festival
The Edinburgh International Festival is a festival of performing arts that takes place in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, over three weeks from around the middle of August. By invitation from the Festival Director, the International Festival brings top class performers of music , theatre, opera...
in 1989; a chamber opera, Madness Lit by Lightning; violin and viola concertos and a range of chamber works. He has written a number of scores for film and TV, and produced a collection of contemporary ghazals.
Critical analysis
Critics have referred to Sohal's style as follows:-- 'Sohal's music is dominated by a wonderful sense of colour - for that reason he loves above all to write for the orchestra with its endless range of timbres and textures... His musical style is unique and independent, indeed maverick.' - Music Current, September 1989.
- 'Like Berlioz or Tippett, his musical style has a maverick independence and a peculiar set of criteria all its own'. - Meirion Bowen, The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, 21.8.82.
- His is a particularly distinctive voice.' - Carol Main, Scotland on Sunday, 18.9.92.
Sohal's works have been performed both nationally and internationally. Artistes who have performed them include Jane Manning
Jane Manning
Jane Manning OBE is an English concert and opera soprano, writer on music, and Visiting Professor at the Royal College of Music. She has been described by one critic as "the irrepressible, incomparable, unstoppable Ms...
and Sally Silver, sopranos; David Wilson-Johnson, baritone; Xue Wei, violin; Barry Buy, double bass; Rivka Golani, viola; Rohan de Saram, 'cello; the ConTempo, Dante and Edinburgh quartets; the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra under Sir Andrew Davis, and the New York Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta. Recent performances of his work have taken place at the Dartington and Spitalfields festivals in the UK. In 2006, he was a guest of the Pan-Asian Music Festival at Stanford University, USA, where his 'Songs of the Five Rivers' was performed.
In 1987, Sohal was awarded a Padma Shri (Order of the Lotus) by the Indian government for his services to music. He currently lives in London where he is working on a piece for narrator and orchestra. The work focuses on the central message of the 'Bhagavad Gita' which concerns fulfilling one's responsibilities in the face of difficult choices.