Prayse!Berlin

From darkness into light and from light into darkness
Stefan Schuck, Conductor

From darkness into light and from light into darkness, seven sacred concerts lead us through the 24 hours of a day. The ensembles from Eastern, Central and Western Europe illuminate vocal Christian church music from the monophony of the Gregorian chant to the courtly music of the early classical period with timpani and trumpets to the greatest score of the Renaissance, the forty-part motet "Spem in alium" by Thomas Tallis.

For this unusual offering, the vocal ensemble sirventes berlin and its conductor Stefan Schuck have invited ensembles that interpret sacred music in their own unique way: the Tenebrae Choir from England, the Basiani Ensemble from Georgia, plus the Staats- und Domchor Berlin (boys' choir) and the ensemble Vox Nostra, which specialises in Gregorian chant. The partner of sirventes berlin will be Grammy Award winner Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin.

Seven times during a day and night cycle, monks and nuns gather to meditate at the hourly prayers. In the secularised metropolis of Berlin, a spiritual-musical retreat will be held seven times on the day of commemoration of Saint Hildegard of Bingen. A venture.

Each concert has its own focus so that the diversity of church music can be heard over the course of 24 hours. Gregorian chorales run like a keynote through the day. This oldest notated form of European music still has a hypnotic effect and enraptures the audience.

Polyphonic vocal music from the Renaissance and Baroque periods is also always heard. It wants to be the image of heavenly order and the echo of divine glory. The Berlin soloist ensemble sirventes berlin has been cultivating this tradition since 2008 at NoonSong every Saturday at lunchtime.

Supported by the Capital Cultural Fund