It was in 1996 at the twelfth annual gathering of Murshid Saul Barodofsky’s European Dervish Healing Order at Haus Schnede in Salzhausen, Niedersachsen, Germany, that the DHO community first formed a choir. The motto of the choir was (and still is) “It’s more important to sing than to sing right.” There were no tryouts. Anyone could participate. There was no written music so the ability to read music wasn’t a factor… all music was learned ‘by ear’. The choir sang a capella, i.e. with no instrumental accompaniment.
Within a few years the choir had become proficient in singing dozens of eclectic spiritual practices and they wanted to have a CD made so that they could sing these works between gatherings and share them with others. Thus from its members the Inayati Quartet was born.
In 2003 the quartet recorded its first CD, Echoes of the Heart. This recording was so well received that in 2008 the quartet released a second volume, Echoes of the Heart 2. Just this month they completed work on their third, Echoes of the Heart 3, to be released in May 2016.
The quartet has produced these CDs as Universal Sufism teaching tools. The choir’s repertoire includes Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, Zoroastrian, Christian, Islamic and indigenous (as well as other) sung spiritual practices that have resonated within their souls. These CDs demonstrate a common attunement
to an essentially identical spiritual ideal that has made its presence experientially known throughout human history. The presence of these CDs helps us remember and share the wisdom that these practices reveal.
The initial Inayati Quartet (Echoes 1 and 2):
Soprano — Nuria Maike Krossmann
Alto — Barbara Valentin
Tenor — Jelaluddin Hauke Sturm
Bass — Aslan Scott Sattler
The current Inayati Quartet (Echoes 3):
Soprano — Nuria Maike Fritze
Alto — Halima Barbara Najork
Tenor — Jelaluddin Hauke Sturm
Bass — Aslan Scott Sattler