The nightingale of Paul Knight

The city was once again host to a nightingale trained by Paul Knight, who in turn was an assistant to the late British composer Benjamin Britten.

Saira Peter, the London-based Pakistani Sufi opera singer, reputedly the world’s only Sufi opera singer and the only Asian to be included in London’s prestigious All-Souls Choir, captivated the audiences at the Pakistan-American Cultural Centre on Tuesday evening with her oozing vocal talent.

The evening’s performance opened with the rendition of a classical tune on the Sitar by the American Sitar Maestro Paul Livingstone. It was a really masterly rendition and one could hardly imagine it to be coming from a Western musician. His nimble finger work was simply remarkable.

Then came the nightingale, Saira, with her vocal number, “The voice of freedom”. She had composed this piece and presented it at the British Museum last year on the occasion of Pakistan’s 70th birthday. The number is interpersed with recordings of Mr Jinnah’s voice.

Her voice was a really captivating soprano, floating and mellifluous, with remarkable voice and breath control, and meticulously measured cadences. It was a flawless, perfect rendition. It was a real treat to hear such a beautiful soprano.

Her next number was one which was light years away from “The voice of freedom”, as diverse as could possibly be. It was one that would have catapulted many among the audience back into the 1950s, a nostalgic trip back in time, a Noor Jehan hit from the 1957 Pakistani movie, Intezar. It was, “Jis din se piya dil le gaye”. Surely it must have brought back many fond memories to those among the audience old enough to remember the movie, the song and the era.

The two numbers were as diverse as could possibly be, with totally diverse syntax, the first one a totally Western soprano and the second one a purely oriental syntax. The only commonality between them was -- perfection.

Next was her rendition of a Thumri, by Ustad Bare Ghulam Ali Khan, “Kia Karoon Sajni, Aye Na Baalam”. Next was a Southern Indian classical tune, “Tillana”. What made this piece all the more captivating was the deft Sitar accompaniment by Sitarist Paul Livingstone.

Then came another rendition, a Western tune adapted to the Pakistani milieu. It was a duet with Paul on the Sitar, “Na, Na, Na-----”. It was really buoyant. Then again, there was a Punjabi hit, originally by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, “”Naheen Lagda Dil Tere Bina”.

All the hits rendered by Saira were testimony to the unlimited versatility of her vocal talent, from the most western soprano to the most indigenous Punjabi hits, numbers totally diverse from each other, the only commonality among them being perfection.

The programme was compered by Dr Raafia Rafique.