‘Herbst’ by Carlos Micháns in a special vocal project.

2024 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the death of composer Frank Martin. Reason for the Deventer Vocaal Ensemble and Chamber Choir Decamerone from Utrecht to put his beautiful Messe pour double chœur a cappella on the program in a special collaboration.

Martin wrote this demanding mass as a “matter between God and himself.” When the work was completed, he put it away in a desk drawer, only to take it out again forty years later. Since then, the mass has become an indispensable part of the choir repertoire.

The artist who does not work out of a need for fame or compliments, but only for himself – you could call it the purest form of art. We combine Martin’s mass with works by other composers based on poems by Rainer Maria Rilke. In this poet too, modest introspection is never far to seek. In the poem Was mich bewegt, Rilke argues that ideas and creations should never be rushed, but should always be given time to reach full maturity before they see the light of day – just as Martin allowed his mass.

Program:

Frank Martin – Messe a double choeur a cappella

Hayo Boerema – Klankstad

Paul Hindemith – Six chansons

Morten Lauridsen – Les chansons des roses

Carlos Micháns – Herbst

Kees van Eersel – Was mich bewegt