Samhain

Kamerkoor JIP, vocal soloist Sanne Rambags and the New European Ensemble present three ritual concerts around the transition from autumn to winter.

We return to the roots of Halloween, Saint Martin and All Souls’ Day, all of which can be traced back to Samhain: the Celtic yearly festival that marked the end of the harvest and the beginning of the dark winter. It was believed that in these days, between October 31 and November 11, the boundary between the world of the living and the dead was thin.

The programme connects music from various (pagan) traditions with new compositions. For instance, the well-known Basque composer Javier Busto wrote a work especially for Kamerkoor JIP, and the New European Ensemble premieres a new composition by Syrian composer Suhaib Alsaman. In addition, ritual music from among others Estonia, France and the Netherlands can be heard and we sing and play together with jazz and improvisation vocalist Sanne Rambags.

The audience sits in a lantern-lit church around the musicians, as if around a campfire. Choral music, music for violin, viola and cello, improvisation, movement and dozens of moving light sculptures merge into a contemporary ritual. The light sculptures were designed by artist Jurrian van den Haak, together with the choir and our audience.

These concerts are made possible by Culture Unlimited, the KfHein Fund and the VSB Fund. The image is a light sculpture by Jurrian van den Haak.

photo: Gemma van der Heyden // Jazznu.com