Concert performance featuring the vocal ensemble VOX NOSTRA (Berlin) and other international artists
As part of the “Art from Silence” series, we are delighted to welcome the Berlin vocal ensemble Vox Nostra and international guest artists for the concert performance “Expanding Time – Love Before You Love.”
Medieval Gregorian chants based on texts from the Old and New Testaments intertwine with over 1,000-year-old Sufi poetry in Arabic, the ethereal sounds of little-known stone harps, and the earthy tones of a bass flute. The yearning breath of the ney reed flute and the oriental ornamentation of the Arabic lute (oud) accompany the Sema, the mystical dance of the whirling dervishes. An intimate performance brings home the preciousness of water.
At the center is love for creation as a shared mission and spiritual connection among all spiritual paths. Particular attention is paid to the historical significance of women. The eminent female mystics Rabi’a of Basra ( 9th century) and Hildegard of Bingen (12th century) engage with one another through their texts and compositions: two great women in a dialogue that transcends time and space.
Performers:
Singers from the Berlin vocal ensemble VOX NOSTRA:
Werner Blau (bass-baritone)
Tobias Hagge (bass)
Burkard Wehner (tenor and musical director of the vocal ensemble)
and
Rasha Ragab (recitation and water performance)
Normisa Pereira da Silva (bass flute and shruti box)
Christoph Nicolaus (stone harps and Sema/dervish whirling dance)
Torsten Haag (ney and oud)
Further information:
The concert will take place during a week of silence at Saunstorf Monastery—a place of stillness. We ask that you be mindful of your own speech and respect the retreat of the monastery’s guests.
Feel free to combine the concert with a visit to our monastery café. There you’ll find high-quality organic fare—from hearty delicacies to lovingly baked cakes and aromatic specialty coffees. Hours: Thursday through Sunday from 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
