Not turning a blind eye to injustice. Incredible destruction and the depths of human despair are too often silenced or erased from history books. Yet, remembering is part of the learning process – from the destroyed biblical Babylon to the prisoners of war in the 21st century.

The program combines Renaissance music centered around Psalm 136 with works for 16 voices from the 20th century. Psalm 136 is one of the most well-known texts in the Bible, as its first part depicts the great longing of the Jewish people in Babylonian exile for their homeland. An ancient biblical story that has repeated itself throughout the centuries, continuing to this day. Composers of every era address the longing for home and the fear of expulsion. These are powerful works that merge vocal beauty with testimonies of their time.

Program

Philipp de Monte (1521-1603) – Super flumina Babylonis 

William Byrd (1540-1623) – Quomodo Cantabimus, 1. Teil 

Rudolf Escher (1912-1980) – Le vrai visage de la paix 

Orlando di Lasso (1532-1594) – Super flumina Babylonis 

Ton de Leeuw (1926-1996) – Elégie pour les villes détruites (1994)

Roxanna Panufnik (*1968) – Kyrie after Byrd 

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-1594) – Super flumina Babylonis 

Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) – Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen (for 16 voices arranged by Clytus Gottwald)