Prayse!Berlin
Officium for a city that never sleeps.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
Programs and Performers
17.9.2022, 12:00 NoonSong (Sext) with Tenebrae Choir London and plain chant
Works by Henry Purcell, Thomas Tomkins and others for mixed choir as well as Gregorian chorales
17.9.2022, 15:00 Non: Georgian church music for male choir and Gregorian chant
polyphonic Georgian-Orthodox church music for male choir a cappella as well as Gregorian chorales
17.9.2022, 19:00: Vespers: Splendour of the Berlin Court, First Performance of Agricola's Vespers
First revival of the Vesper music for choir and orchestra by the Berlin court Kapellmeister Johann Friedrich Agricola (1720-1774) as well as Gregorian…
17.9.2022, 23:00: Complete with Tallis 40 part motet "Spem in Alium"
Highlights of a cappella music at night with works by Christopher Tye, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy and the forty-part motet "Spem in alium" by Thomas…