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Messiah, an Iranian ensemble led by Assyrian conductor Honiball Yousef, will be giving a concert of world love songs at Tehran's Milad Tower on July 5.

Opera singer Mario Taqaddosi will accompany the ensemble singing a selection of love songs in English, French, Spanish, Germany, Persian, Assyrian, and several other languages . .

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People fall in love and express their love in their own languages, Yousef said, adding that this concert is filled with love and love songs are heard in different languages here.

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Payvand Iran News ...
07/01/13
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Iran's Messiah ensemble to perform world love songs

Source: Tehran Times

Messiah, an Iranian ensemble led by Assyrian conductor Honiball Yousef, will be giving a concert of world love songs at Tehran's Milad Tower on July 5.

Opera singer Mario Taqaddosi will accompany the ensemble singing a selection of love songs in English, French, Spanish, Germany, Persian, Assyrian, and several other languages, Yousef said in a press conference held here on Saturday.


Maryam, Eastern Ave Maria
Vocal: Yashar Kazemi
Words and Music by Honiball Yousef

People fall in love and express their love in their own languages, Yousef said, adding that this concert is filled with love and love songs are heard in different languages here.



Songs by Luciano Pavarotti and Andrea Bocelli have also been selected for performance by Taqaddosi, he added.

In addition, vocalist Rashid Vatandust will be joining the program as a guest singer.

A group of young musicians are also accompanying Yousef in this concert.

Organized by the Institute of Shokuh-e Musiqiy-e Iranian, the ensemble will be giving two performances on the same day.

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The song was written for the Anacreontic Society, probably around 1771. The tune (...) is now thought to have been written "collectively" by members of the society, led by John Stafford Smith. ... The society met every two weeks to get drunk, sing songs and to indulge in some debauchery. Anacreon himself was a Greek poet from about 570BC who was noted for his erotic poetry ... and his drinking songs.

To ANACREON in Heav'n, where he sat in full Glee,
A few Sons of Harmony sent a Petition,
That He their Inspirer and Patron wou'd be;
When this Answer arriv'd from the JOLLY OLD GRECIAN
"Voice, Fiddle, and Flute,
"No longer be mute,
"I'll lend you my Name and inspire you to boot,
"And, besides, I'll instruct you like me, to intwine
"The Myrtle of VENUS with BACCHUS's Vine.



The news through OLYMPUS immediately flew;
When OLD THUNDER pretended to give himself Airs --
If these Mortals are suffer'd their Scheme to pursue,
The Devil a Goddess will stay above Stairs.
"Hark! already they cry,
"In Transports of Joy
"Away to the Sons of ANACREON we'll fly,
"And there, with good Fellows, we'll learn to intwine
"The Myrtle of VENUS with BACCHUS'S Vine.



"The YELLOW-HAIR'D GOD and his nine fusty Maids
"From HELICON'S Banks will incontinent flee,
"IDALIA will boast but of tenantless Shades,
"And the bi-forked Hill a mere Desart will be
"My Thunder, no fear on't,
"Shall soon do it's Errand,
"And, dam'me! I'll swinge the Ringleaders I warrant,
"I'll trim the young Dogs, for thus daring to twine
"The Myrtle of VENUS with BACCHUS'S Vine.



APOLLO rose up; and said, "Pr'ythee ne'er quarrel,
"Good King of the Gods with my Vot'ries below:
"Your Thunder is useless-- then, shewing his Laurel,
Cry'd. "Sic evitabile fulmen, you know!
"Then over each Head
"My Laurels I'll spread
"So my Sons from your Crackers no Mischief shall dread,
"Whilst snug in their Club-Room, they Jovially twine
"The Myrtle of VENUS with BACCHUS'S Vine.



Next MOMUS got up, with his risible Phiz,
And swore with APOLLO he'd cheerfull join--
"The full Tide of Harmony still shall be his,
"But the Song, and the Catch, & the Laugh shall bemine
"Then, JOVE, be not jealous
Of these honest Fellows,
Cry'd JOVE, "We relent, since the Truth you now tell us;
"And swear, by OLD STYX, that they long shall entwine
"The Myrtle of VENUS with BACCHUS'S Vine.



Ye Sons of ANACREON, then, join Hand in Hand;
Preserve Unanimity, Friendship, and Love!
'Tis your's to support what's so happily plann'd;
You've the Sanction of Gods, and the FIAT of JOVE.
While thus we agree
Our Toast let it be.
May our Club flourish happy, united and free!
And long may the Sons of ANACREON intwine
The Myrtle of VENUS with BACCHUS'S Vine.

"The Anacreontic Song", also known by its incipit "To Anacreon in Heaven", was the official song of the Anacreontic Society, an 18th-century gentlemen's club of amateur musicians in London. Attributed to the composer John Stafford Smith, the tune was later used by several writers as a setting for their patriotic lyrics. These included two songs by Francis Scott Key, most famously his poem, "Defence of Fort McHenry". The latter combination became known as "The Star-Spangled Banner" and was adopted as the national anthem of the United States of America, in 1931.

The Ménestrandise were an ancient guild of entertainers. Principally they were fiddlers, but they incoporated other instrumentalists, dancing teachers, jugglers, and the like into their ranks as the centuries passed. When, in 1693, they decided that organists and harpsichordists should join, a legal battle based on social standing ensued. In the end, the more elevated musicians won, with the help of the four organists of the Royal Chapel, including our Couperin. He now lampoons the "splendors" of these street-artists (the x's supplied in their guild's name elevate it to a "secret society"). The comedy is cast in the five acts of a lyric tragedy, but there is no plot, just ridiculous characters: in act one the elders are represented by a silly march, then come two hurdy-gurdy players and beggars, followed by jugglers, tumblers, clowns, with their bears and monkeys; the fourth act mocks the society as having "invalids, or those crippled in the service of the Ménestrandise", and then "the entire troup disintegrates into a rout caused by the drunks, monkeys, and bears."



-- Bruce Gustavson, The Great Couperin (Harmonia Mundi, 1994)