“Grant peace, Lord, grant peace.” While Europe was being torn apart by the Thirty Years’ War, Heinrich Schütz set his urgent plea to equally poignant music. We sing the noble polyphony of the psalms by him and his contemporaries, to songs of lament and jubilation, but also songs that describe everyday life in the midst of battle. Music that speaks of life in times of conflict mirrors the absurdity of reality: that four centuries later, no breach has yet been made in the vicious circle called the violence of war.
The Baroque music will find its place in between compositions with field recordings created by Inne Eysermans (musician) and Katherina Lindekens (dramaturge and field recordist). They take a step back: what traces of war can be heard in the environments we inhabit every day? And how does nature carry on after periods of human conflict?
For the first time, the B’Rock Vocal Consort will be led by the exciting Berlin-based early music specialist Elina Albach. With her own ensemble Continuum, she has a long track record of genre- and era-bending production, making her a perfect fit for B’Rock.
The work of Katherina Lindekens and Inne Eysermans is supported by a grant from EFFEA, an initiative of the European Festivals Association. With thanks to De Vlaamse Waterweg, Filip Deruytter, Floris Vanlerberghe, Pieter Hoorne, Jan Verschoren, CAMP Arts Residencies, Bernadette Rogalle, Sara & Tito Serras Simões, Tom Almeida & Janny Soares, Ana Maria da Silva Pitarma, Maria João Pereira, and Francisco Gomes.
