NoonSong presents: Prayse! Berlin
Officium for a city that never sleeps
Seven concerts of religious music in the course of 24 hours lead from darkness into light and from light into darkness. Ensembles from Eastern, Central and Western Europe examine vocal Christian church music ranging from the unison of Gregorian chant, through the court music of the early classical period with drums and trumpets to the most magnificent score of the Renaissance, the forty-part motet “Spem in alium” by Thomas Tallis.
Drawing from a codex of the Cistercian Abbey of Maulbronn, 1480
© 10.5076/e-codices-cb-0019
Past Dates
- Saturday, 17 September 2022
- Seven concerts within 24 hours.
- 00:05—23:55
- Kirche Am Hohenzollernplatz
- Free admission
Monks and nuns will gather seven times in the cycle of day and night to meditate and conduct hourly prayers. In the secular metropolis of Berlin, we invite you to the Kirche Am Hohenzollernplatz for seven acts of musical contemplation on the day that commemorates Hildegard von Bingen.
From darkness into light and from light into darkness, arrayed in a spectrum through the church windows designed by Achim Freyer, seven spiritual concerts take us through the 24 hours of one day. Celebrated ensembles from Eastern, Central and Western Europe examine vocal Christian church music ranging from the monophony of Gregorian chant, through the music of the early classical period to the magnificent Renaissance score of Thomas Tallis’s forty-part motet “Spem in alium” and on to music of our own time.
Schedule | Cast
00:05: Matutin
For the Feast of Hildegard von Bingen with works by Sweelinck, Gumpelzhaimer, Rihm, Hildegard von Bingen and Mohr as well as Gregorian chants
Vox Nostra
Burkard Wehner chorus director
Vocalensemble sirventes berlin
Stefan Schuck chorus director
Domine, labia mea aperies
Laudemus Deum nostrum in confessione beatae Hildegardis
Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck (1562 – 1621)
Venite, exultemus Domino
for five-part mixed choir a cappella
Adam Gumpelzhaimer (1559 – 1625)
Domine, quid multiplicati sunt
for eight-part mixed choir a cappella
Lectio
on the day of remembrance on 17 September for Hildegard von Bingen
Wolfgang Rihm (*1952)
Mit geschlossenem Mund
Hildegard von Bingen (1098 – 1179)
O dulcissime amator, o dulcissime amplexator
Joseph Mohr (1792 – 1848)
Quem terra pontus
for four-part mixed choir a cappella
Benedicamus Domino
06:30: Laudes
With works by Purcell, Byrd and Gesualdo as well as Gregorian chants
Tenebrae Choir London
Nigel Short chorus director
Vocalensemble sirventes berlin
Stefan Schuck chorus director
Deus, in adiutorium meum intende
Henry Purcell (1659 – 1695)
O God Thou art my God
for four-part mixed choir a cappella
Anglican Chant
for four-part mixed choir a cappella
William Byrd (1543 – 1623)
Laudibus in sanctis Dominum
for five-part mixed choir a cappella
Lectio from the Song of Songs
Carlo Gesualdo (1566 – 1613)
Benedictus
for six-part mixed choir a cappella
Hymnus: O gloriosa vírginum
Conclusio
09:15: Terz
With works by Schütz and Georgian Orthodox church music for male choir a cappella
Staats- und Domchor Berlin
Kai-Uwe Jirka chorus director
Basiani-Ensemble Tiflis
Giorgi Donadze and Zurab Tskrialashvili chorus director
Members of the Lautten-Compagney Berlin
Upalo Bageni (Herr, öffne meine Lippen)
for three-part male choir a cappella
Heinrich Schütz (1585 – 1672)
Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen (SWV 29)
for two four-part mixed choirs and continuo
Heinrich Schütz
Herr, auf dich traue ich (SWV 377)
for five-part mixed choir and continuo
Heinrich Schütz
Die Himmel erzählen (SWV 386)
for six-part mixed choir and continuo
Angelosi ghaghadebs (Der Engel weinte)
IV. Refrain to Ode IX (ornamented version for Easter) for three-part male choir a cappella
Ganatldi, ganatldi (Leuchte, leuchte, Neues Jerusalem)
Heirmos Ode IX (ornamented version for Easter) for three-part male choir a cappella
Heinrich Schütz
Verleih uns Frieden (SWV 372)
for five-part mixed choir and continuo
12:00: Sext
With works by Tomkins and Purcell and Gregorian chants
Tenebrae Choir London
Nigel Short chorus director
Vocalensemble sirventes berlin
Stefan Schuck chorus director
Deus in adiutorium meum intende
Nigel Short (*1965)
Anglican Chant (Psalm 71)
Thomas Tomkins (1572 – 1656)
O Lord, how manifold are thy works
for four-part equal-voice choir a cappella
Henry Purcell (1659 – 1695)
Thy word is a lantern
for four-part mixed choir and organ
Hymnus Rector potens, verax Deus
Conclusio
15:00: Non
Polyphonic Georgian-Orthodox church music for male choir a cappella as well as Gregorian chants
Basiani-Ensemble Tiflis
Giorgi Donadze and Zurab Tskrialashvili chorus director
Vocalensemble sirventes berlin
Stefan Schuck chorus director
Deus in adiutorium meum intende
Netar ars katsi
Vesper Hymns Ps. 1 (ornamented version) for three-part male choir a cappella
Tqveta ganmatavisuplebelo (As liberator of the prisoners)
Troparion of St. George, the great martyr, for three-part male choir a cappella
O doctor optime, ecclesiae sanctae lumen
Magnificat anima mea Dominum
Motsikuli kristesagan gamorcheuli (The Apostle chosen by Christ)
Kontakion for the Feast of St. Nino for three-part male choir a cappella
Hymnus: Rerum, Deus, tenax vigor
19:00: Vesper
First revival of the Vespers music for choir and orchestra by the Berlin court Kapellmeister Agricola as well as Gregorian chants
Vox Nostra
Burkhard Wehner chorus director
Vocalensemble sirventes berlin
Stefan Schuck chorus director
Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin
Deus in adjutorium meum intende
Johannes Friedrich Agricola (1720 – 1774)
Dixit Dominus
for solos, mixed choir and orchestra
Johannes Friedrich Agricola
Der König jauchzt von dir entzücket
for solos, mixed choir and orchestra
Benedicamus Domino cum cantico, cum jubilo
Johannes Friedrich Agricola
Magnificat
for solos, mixed choir and orchestra
23:00: Komplet
With works by Tye, Davies, Gardiner, Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Reger, Walter, Poulenc and Tallis, as well as hymns and Gregorian chants
Vocalensemble sirventes berlin
Stefan Schuck chorus director
Basiani-Ensemble Tiflis
Giorgi Donadze and Zurab Tskrialashvili chorus director
Tenebrae Choir London
Nigel Short chorus director
Vox Nostra
Burkhard Wehner chorus director
Jube domne – Fratres: Sobrii estote – Deus in adiutorium
Christopher Tye (c.1505; † c.1572)
My trust in Thee O Lord
for five-part mixed choir a cappella
Walford Davies (1869 – 1941)
I will lift up mine Eyes
for four-part mixed choir a cappella
Henry Balfour Gardiner (1877 – 1950)
Te Lucis ante terminum
for four-part mixed choir a cappella
In manus tuas, Domine, commendo (Responsorium breve)
Tsmidao ghmerto (O, Holy God)
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809 – 1847)
Denn er hat seinen Engeln befohlen über Dir
for eight-part mixed choir a cappella
Max Reger (1873 – 1916)
Ich liege und schlafe
for five-part mixed choir a cappella
Johann Walter (1496 – 1570)
Lumen ad revelationem / Nunc dimittis
for six-part mixed choir a cappella
Francis Poulenc (1899 – 1963)
Salve Regina
for four-part mixed choir a cappella
Thomas Tallis (c.1505 – 1585)
Spem in alium
for forty-part mixed choir a cappella