Yunus Emre Enstitüsü – London brought the contemplative tradition of Turkish Sufi music to audiences in both London and Birmingham this Ramadan through its concert series The Sound of Contemplation: Silence, Reflection, Devotion. The programme opened in London at St Mary’s Church, Islington, before continuing in Birmingham at Bradshaw Hall, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, one of the UK’s leading concert venues. Presented during the reflective atmosphere of Ramadan, the concerts introduced British audiences to the devotional and classical traditions of Turkish music through a repertoire shaped by centuries of spiritual poetry and modal composition.
Rather than presenting the music as a folkloric display, the series foregrounded the historical and spiritual dimensions of the repertoire. Rooted in the intertwined traditions of Ottoman classical music and Anatolian Sufism, the programme highlighted how poetry, melody and spiritual practice have historically informed one another within Turkish musical culture.
Poetry, devotion and the makam tradition
At the centre of the programme was a repertoire drawn from the Turkish Sufi (tasavvuf) music tradition, much of it setting the verses of the thirteenth-century Anatolian mystic Yunus Emre, whose poetry remains foundational to Turkish spiritual culture.
Musically, the concert moved through several classical makam modes, the modal system that shapes melody and emotional character in Turkish music. The repertoire included widely known ilahis (devotional hymns) such as Hak Yarattı Âlemi (“God Created the Universe”), Ben Dost ile Dost Olmuşam (“I Have Become a Friend with the Divine Friend”), and Ya Rabbi Aşkın Ver Bana (“O Lord, Grant Me Your Love”), alongside other works exploring themes of divine love, humility and spiritual longing.
These compositions combined poetic texts with melodic structures typical of Ottoman-era devotional music, unfolding gradually through makams such as Acemaşiran, Isfahan and Nihavend. The pacing allowed each piece to develop with clarity, emphasising nuance and inward expression rather than dramatic display.
The performers
The programme was performed by vocalist Professor Dr Serda Türkel Oter, a leading interpreter of Classical Turkish and devotional music known for her refined and expressive vocal style. She was joined by vocalist Eray Cinpir, whose performances draw on the traditional Turkish Sufi repertoire and who has represented Turkish music in concerts across more than twenty countries. Instrumental accompaniment was provided by Associate Professor Tolga Oter on oud, whose playing combines technical precision with deep stylistic understanding of the tradition, together with Serdar Yılmaz on qanun, whose performances bring together the intricate modal language of Turkish music with a sensitive and balanced instrumental approach.
A contemplative listening experience
For many audience members the concerts offered a rare opportunity to encounter Turkish devotional music within the UK’s contemporary cultural landscape. The performances unfolded with deliberate restraint: applause was minimal, transitions between pieces were gentle, and the atmosphere reflected the contemplative character associated with Ramadan evenings.
In London, the resonant architecture of St Mary’s Church allowed the instruments and voices to carry naturally through the space. In Birmingham, the same repertoire was presented at Bradshaw Hall, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, bringing the music into one of the country’s most respected concert venues and introducing it to a wider Midlands audience.
Together the two concerts formed part of Yunus Emre Enstitüsü – London’s broader cultural programme aimed at fostering dialogue between Turkish artistic traditions and British audiences.
Through a repertoire shaped by poetry, spirituality and the refined modal language of Turkish music, The Sound of Contemplation offered listeners an encounter with a tradition where music functions not only as performance, but as a medium for reflection and inward listening.