The Dubai Camerata Singers (DCS) will present Shukran, UAE — A Concert of Gratitude on Saturday, September 19, 2026, at the Playhouse Studio, New Covent Garden Theatre, Mall of the Emirates, in a performance the community choir describes as a musical love letter to the country its members call home.
Staged as the Dubai-based ensemble approaches its 10th anniversary, the concert blends choral music, spoken word, and the real-life stories of expatriates who have built their lives in the UAE. The program is organized around four themes — gratitude, community, diversity, and belonging — and unfolds across five musical movements: Heritage, Reflection, Unity, Hope, and Gratitude.
“Shukran, UAE is our way of saying thank you,” said Fermel Fuentes, founding member, creative director, and choir project manager of DCS. “For many of us, the UAE became more than the country where we came to work.”
Choir master and musical director Arne S. Lubasan said the repertoire was built around a single question — the emotional journey of someone who comes to the UAE — calling a choir “the perfect metaphor” for the nation, with many voices coming together as one.
Guiding audiences through the concert is Sudanese-American spoken word artist Nima Elnour, who joins as its storyteller. Elnour, who grew up in the UAE and founded the literary collective Zaariya, said she was drawn to the idea of leaving home to eventually find home, a journey she noted resonates with many expatriates.
The concert features the personal stories of choir members spanning generations and professions, from a married couple who arrived in 2008 and 2010, to a music-conservatory graduate turned teacher, to 18-year-old Natalie Sarah Bunyan, who represents a younger generation for whom the UAE is already home.
The performance is hosted by New Covent Garden Theatre, founded by performers Lisa Scott-Lee and Johnny Shentall as a platform for the region’s homegrown creative talent.
Tickets are available through Platinumlist.
