String of Pearls Ensemble

Poetry Performers & Storytelling
Music & Singing

“An Evening with Rumi was a brilliant piece of artwork.
A masterpiece. And this is an understatement.”
— Harriet Rodrigues

String of Pearls Ensemble offer heart-opening performances that bring the timeless beauty of spiritual poetry and music to life.

Through the words of mystical poets like Rumi and others, we create transformative experiences that awaken the soul and connect us all.

Come join us for inspirational verses, good humour, rich poetic metaphor, timeless wisdom & a journey
home to the heart.

“Like an oyster shell we have our mouths open,
for the cloud of your pearl-scattering grace has come”
— Rumi, Ghazal 126 - Arberry

UPCOMING EVENTS

UPCOMING EVENTS

Thursday July 17th 2025

Colet House
London, W14 9DA

Tickets available to purchase soon!

String of Pearls Ensemble invite you to an exquisite evening of poetry, stories and song woven together from the words of the great Sufi Master Jalaluddin Rumi.

Expect an evening of good humour, inspirational verses, rich poetic metaphor, timeless wisdom and a journey home to the heart.

‘An Evening with Rumi’ is a potent blend of 5 dynamic performers, each with a rich history sharing poetry to explore the depths of spiritual experience.

With Duncan Mackintosh, Laura Merri, Leela Emadi, Zahra Afsah & Rubaya Pirzada

Monday March 31st 2025

Lauderdale House
London

19.30 - 21.30

Event ended

String of Pearls Ensemble invite you to an exquisite evening of poetry, stories and song woven together from the words of the great Sufi Master Jalaluddin Rumi.

Expect an evening of good humour, inspirational verses, rich poetic metaphor, timeless wisdom and a journey home to the heart.

‘An Evening with Rumi’ has been specially curated for this year’s Nowruz Festival, and is a potent blend of 4 dynamic performers, each with a rich history sharing poetry to explore the depths of spiritual experience.

With Duncan Mackintosh, Laura Merri, Leela Emadi & Zahra Afsah

Welcome to String of Pearls Ensemble

Awakening hearts through the timeless beauty of poetry and music.

We are a collective of seasoned performers from across the globe, united by a shared love for the profound, transformative power of spiritual poetry.

Drawing inspiration from the mystical verses of great Sufi masters, especially the beloved Rumi, as well as other timeless poets, our ensemble offers heart-opening performances that transport audiences to a space of deep connection and reflection.

Our Journey

String of Pearls Ensemble came together through a beautiful convergence of souls. Each of our performers touched my heart deeply at some point along the way, and as well as our individual work, I wanted to create a like minded ensemble presence where we could collaborate, share, and to offer something larger than ourselves. Our performances are more than just recitations; they are living, breathing expressions of love, truth, and the deep mysteries of existence.

Our Performances

Whether at intimate gatherings or grand festivals, our performances are designed to stir the heart, ignite the spirit, and awaken the soul. With a rich tapestry of sound and word we breathe life into the sacred words of mystics past and present, creating an immersive experience that lingers long after the final note fades.

What We Offer:

  • Heart-Centered Performances: Experience the timeless wisdom of Rumi and other mystics, brought to life through the voices and artistry of a diverse group of performers.

  • Spiritual Poetry with Music: Our performances are accompanied by soul-stirring music that elevates the poetic verses, creating a profound atmosphere of connection.

  • Customized Performances for Events & Festivals: Whether you're hosting a spiritual gathering, a cultural event, or a festival, we offer tailored performances that will captivate your audience and leave them moved.

A Global Collaboration

Each member of our ensemble brings a unique cultural background and perspective, yet we are all bound by a singular desire to share beauty, wisdom, and heart-opening experiences with the world. Our performances are a celebration of the universal truths that connect us all.

Join Us on a Journey of the Heart

We invite you to experience the profound power of spiritual poetry and music. Let us bring our heart-opening performances to your next event or festival, and together, we’ll share the timeless wisdom that connects us all.

Offered in the Sufi spirit of love & good will to all,

Laura Merri

Nowruz Festival, Lauderdale House 2025
Duncan Mackintosh, Zahra Afsah, Leela Emadi, Laura Merri

The Ensemble

  • Smiling person with blue eyes wearing a blue dress and earrings against a dark background.

    Laura Merri

    Poetry Performer

    The beauty of the mystics’ verses is that, no matter which spiritual path we are walking, these timeless words will inevitably help us all to return home, again and again, to the divine bond which unites us all.

    Laura has been performing mystical poetry around the world since 2016.

  • Person in white shirt and black hat singing into a microphone outdoors.

    Leela Emadi

    Singer

    Faezeh Leela Emadi, known by her artistic name Arghanun—a symbol of the collective Ney—believes in sound as a sacred passage to the soul. To her, when we dare to give voice to our inner song—letting it rise, shimmer, and move through us—it becomes a vessel that carries us home to our truest essence. In each of her performances, Arghanun draws from the timeless depths of Rumi’s poetry, weaving spaces where artist and listener co-create a living moment of presence - fleeting, luminous, and eternal. Click here to hear one of her most recent offerings, ‘Az Jamadi’.

  • Black and white photo of a woman with long hair standing in front of a stone wall, wearing a sleeveless top.

    Zahra Afsah

    Storyteller

    Zahra Afsah explores the links between oral storytelling & Persian miniature painting, specifically the direct influences of the oral tradition in the Khamseh of Nizami of 1494-95. Zahra is dedicated to transforming the way stories are told, and has performed around the world sharing ancient wisdom through stories.

  • Older man with white hair and beard, wearing a colorful embroidered vest and holding a stringed instrument, against a red background.

    Duncan Mackintosh

    Poetry Performer & Storyteller

    Performing Rumi for 35 years, as well as storytelling, working in a number of theatre companies working out of Rudolf Steiner's inspiration, teaching performing arts, focussing on the awakening power and mystery of 'Presence'.

  • Black and white image of a musician playing guitar and singing into a microphone outdoors, wearing a fez hat.

    Rubaya Pirzada

    Recording Artist

    Rubaya specialises in music sourced from Sufi and Folk themes. Rubaya is deeply committed to the language and rhythms of music which transcend across the borders of race, faith, and culture. In a world where there is so much chaos and uncertainty she use music to inspire people towards reflection, contemplation and unity. Her ambition is to build the bridge of understanding between people by using her skills as a musician.

  • Woman wearing a hijab and lavender blazer, smiling and sitting in a cafe with plants and menu screens in the background.

    Nour Elassy

    Writer

    Nour is a poet, author and journalist from Palestine. She has just published her first anthology ‘Bleeding Watermelon’ which is available to purchase here

  • Smiling person wearing a red dress with a necklace and decorative feathers

    Ellaya Mor

    Spoken Word Artist

    Ellaya is an Israeli storyteller, Buddhism teacher and lover of poetry, with a deep affinity for Sufi poetry. Guided by her love of Rumi and Hafiz, Ellaya has developed a unique approach to performance, that delivers 13th century poetry as live and contemporary spoken word, creating a vibrant and mystical experience, infused with her own personal touch.

    She is deeply committed to peace work through her art, offering performances as spaces for healing, remembrance, and connection across divides. Alongside her performances, Ellaya facilitates Living Poetry workshops—immersive, heart-centered journeys where poetry becomes a gateway to presence, embodiment, and the sacred dimension of human experience.

Testimonials

  • What Duncan Mackintosh does is beyond a performance. You re-plug us to the current. What you are doing is alive. It burns, caresses, consoles, re-awakens… You are like embers and I felt like kindling.’

    Muriel Maufroy, Author of ‘Rumi’s Daughter’

  • ‘The room was set ablaze with Divine Love; one could palpably feel this love saturated throughout the entire room. The feeling of home was rekindled within our hearts. Many people didn’t want to leave the room upon the completion of Laura’s powerful transmissions’

    Nicole Hemmer, Feminine Leadership Mentor

  • 'When I heard Leela sing traditional Iranian songs in Persian, her sound went like a soul awakening arrow straight to my heart, an unforgettable moment.’

    Anne Ashton, Audience Member - Nowruz, Lauderdale House, London

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Group of musicians performing outdoors, with traditional instruments and diverse attire, set against a stone wall backdrop.
Two people smiling and speaking into microphones during an outdoor event.
Person with short curly hair singing outdoors, holding a microphone.
A person with white hair and a beard is seated, wearing a medieval-style outfit, holding a stringed instrument in a tent setting.
Person holding a bell in black and white photo
Woman speaking indoors, wearing a black dress, with candles and fairy lights in the background.
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Older woman in a red dress with a colorful scarf against a textured background.
Two women sitting against a brick wall, one holding a wooden harmonium, the other holding a drum with intricate design.
Intricate wooden floral carving with ornate patterns and textures.
A man in a turquoise traditional outfit and a white turban holding a book sits on a black ornate sofa. Next to him is a woman in a gold robe with a blue shawl sitting on the floor, next to a harmonium. The background is black with some decorations, i
Woman singing outdoors with a microphone, wearing a white shirt and black hat, surrounded by greenery.
Woman in a pink hijab holding a microphone with text "What if? If you were mine," against a gray wall and blue sky background.
Person wearing a purple hijab and black top, holding earphones with text "Stop taking everything for granted" above.
A woman sitting on the floor with a harmonium on her lap against a white background. She is barefoot and dressed in a blue top and black pants.
Two musicians onstage at World Yoga Festival with string lights and decoration
Three people hugging closely with smiles, wearing colorful headscarves and shawls; background of a roof and sky.
Group of four people smiling, standing close together in a room, wearing colorful and patterned clothing, with their arms around each other.
A woman in a black and gold embroidered vest raises her arms expressively while two others, seated, observe her with musical notes in front of them. They are indoors with a maroon fabric backdrop.
Four musicians sitting and smiling, with sheet music stands in front. A large maroon drapery is in the background.
Artistic illustration of a whirling dervish with Arabic calligraphy forming the figure's robe, set against a beige background with decorative rings.

Please get in touch to find out more.
As well as putting on performances, we’re open to collaborations & creative ideas.
Get in touch if you’d like us to contribute to your event or festival.

We’d love to hear from you.