On the Thread of the Dawn Music composed and performed by Sherif Dahroug Lyre de Mercure - French label. Sur le Fil de l'Aube: A Journey Between Worlds "Sur le Fil de l'Aube" (On the Thread of the Dawn) is a deeply spiritual exploration of the sacred threshold between night and day, the mortal and divine. Drawing upon ancient Egyptian wisdom, the album channels the timeless principles found in the ritualistic invocations to Amun-Ra, the sun god. Through its musical compositions, the listener is invited into a contemplative space that feels both ancient and immediate, transcending time and connecting the listener to a vast cosmic narrative. The Temple of Dawn: A Sacred Space At the heart of the music is the image of the ancient Egyptian temple, symbolising the sacred place where dawn is born. This temple serves as both a literal and metaphorical space, a cradle of light where the sun god Ra emerges at the break of day. In Egyptian cosmology, dawn was a moment of divine transition when Ra moved from his hidden form as Atum, the unseen—to his visible, radiant form as the sun disk, Ra. This transition is central to the album’s musical journey, which traces the movement from darkness and the unknown to the first glimmer of light, a metaphor for both spiritual awakening and cosmic creation. Just as the temple was a site of daily worship, where priests performed invocations to coax the sun into the sky, the music becomes a sonic temple, a space where the listener can participate in the sacred rites of dawn. The temple represents a threshold, a place not only between night and day but also between the mortal and divine realms, echoing ancient Egyptian beliefs that every dawn symbolized the rebirth of the world. The Metaphor of the Liminal Dawn The dawn, in the album, is not merely a time of day but a metaphysical concept—a place of possibility and transformation. In ancient Egyptian belief, dawn was a precarious moment, where the sun god was vulnerable and needed support to rise. The ancient Egyptians viewed Ra as being reborn each day, emerging from the underworld after his perilous night journey. The dawn marked the moment of victory over darkness, but also a fragile point where the sun could falter without the guidance of Maat (the goddess of harmony, balance and order) and Hathor (the mother goddess). This sense of fragility and balance is captured in the album’s title, "Sur le Fil de l'Aube"—"On the Thread of the Dawn." The thread is a delicate metaphor, evoking the precariousness of the moment where the light and dark hang in the balance, where each dawn brings both the promise of life and the possibility of returning to night. The lone figure on the album’s cover art, standing before the temple, becomes a representation of the eternal seeker, walking the thin line between these two worlds. Amun-Ra and the Ritual of the Sun At the core of this album is the invocation to Amun-Ra, the god who embodies both hidden potential (Amun) and manifest power (Ra). The ancient Egyptians understood Amun as a god whose essence was wrapped in mystery—the hidden one, whose true form was unknowable. At dawn, he would transition into Ra, the revealed god, whose light nourished all life. This daily transformation was not simply a natural phenomenon but a divine event, one that had to be guided and supported by ritual. The music captures this sacred moment of birth. Each note serves as an invocation, mirroring the ancient prayers that greeted Ra with gentleness and reverence, recognizing that he was like a newborn child emerging from the horizon of creation. As the prayers suggested, Ra was greeted with a maternal tenderness—his power was awe-inspiring, but his emergence was fragile, requiring the calm assurance of Maat and Hathor to guide him through the dawn. In one ancient Egyptian text, the priests would sing to Ra, "Maat has come to be with you, Maat is everywhere you are. Lean on her. Look, the circles of the sky are coming toward you, their arms cradling you every morning. To blow life into every nose so that what your arms have created may live" (Berlin Papyrus 3055). This idea of Ra being supported by the arms of the goddesses as he rises finds a parallel in the album’s themes of support and balance—the music provides a space for listeners to reflect on the precariousness of dawn, of new beginnings, and the necessity of finding stability in moments of transition. The Lone Figure: A Timeless Seeker The album’s cover art features a lone figure, standing in the foreground before the ancient temple, aligned with the horizon. The identity of this figure is deliberately obscured, creating a sense of timelessness and universality. This could be anyone—an ancient priest, a modern listener, or the artist himself—faced with the eternal moment of dawn. The lack of clear detail in the figure’s clothing reinforces the idea that this is not a specific person, but a symbol of humanity’s eternal quest to understand its place in the universe. This figure stands on the threshold of two worlds—the world of darkness, silence, and mystery behind him, and the world of light, life, and knowledge ahead. He is the mediator, the one who walks the thread of dawn, balancing between night and day, between past and future. In this way, the figure represents the listener’s journey through the album—a journey of contemplation, reflection, and eventual rebirth. The Role of Maat and Hathor: Balancing the Universe A crucial element of the ancient Egyptian worldview was the concept of Maat, the principle of cosmic balance and order. Maat was not just a goddess but the very fabric of reality—without her, chaos would reign. In the album, Maat plays a vital role as the force that holds the universe together, guiding Ra through the delicate process of rebirth each day. Alongside her is Hathor, the mother goddess, whose maternal care surrounds Ra, ensuring that he is cradled and nurtured as he rises. The invocation to Ra in the album mirrors the ancient prayers that called on Maat and Hathor to guide the sun, reminding the listener that even the most powerful forces of nature are dependent on balance and care. This theme extends to the broader philosophy of the album, which explores the idea that dawn is not just the birth of light, but the rebirth of the universe—a moment that requires attention, care, and balance to ensure the continued harmony of the cosmos. For the ancient Egyptians, the music was more than just an art form—it was the very essence of Ma’at, the cosmic order that bound the universe. The Egyptians understood that the world operated according to a delicate balance, and nowhere was this more important than in the cycles of night and day. Ra's journey through the stars each night symbolized the eternal struggle of light against darkness, life against chaos. But each morning, with the help of music, the world was restored. The music did more than simply fill the silence; it bridged the gap between Ra’s transcendence and his earthly manifestation. In his night form, Ra existed as a hidden force—unseen, unfelt, and far removed from the material world. He was Atum, the distant, unknowable god of the stars. But as dawn approached, Ra needed to take form again, to emerge not just as light, but as a life-giving force, nourishing the world. The music symbolized this transition, embodying the laws of Ma’at in sound and vibration, harmonizing the universe so Ra could return. The music became the voice of Ma’at herself, and through the careful crafting of each note, the god Ra could smile once more, ready to breathe new life into creation. Hier et Demain: The Eternal Present The album’s exploration of dawn as a metaphor for transformation extends beyond the individual experience to encompass the cosmic cycle itself. The phrase “Hier et Demain” (Yesterday and Tomorrow) highlights the album’s concern with the passage of time, but it also reflects the cyclical nature of creation in Egyptian belief. In their worldview, time was not linear but cyclical—each day, each dawn, represented not just the passage of time, but the renewal of creation itself. The past and the future are intertwined in the present moment of dawn, the moment when all things begin again. In "Sur le Fil de l'Aube", the artist have crafted a musical and metaphysical journey that taps into the deepest spiritual currents of ancient Egyptian cosmology. Through the lens of dawn, the album reflects on rebirth, balance, and the eternal quest for understanding. The listener is invited to stand on the threshold with the music, on the thread of the dawn, where light and darkness are in delicate balance—a moment of profound beauty and cosmic significance.