More than 800 years ago, Francis of Assisi walked barefoot and unarmed from his crusader camp in Egypt to the camp of ‘the enemy’. He came there to speak to Sultan Malik al-Kamil. Francis and Malik al-Kamil talked to each other for three days and did not get carried away by the hostility and violence of their contemporaries. They held spiritual conversations and recognised in each other a desire for peace. Sultan Malik Al-Kamil and Francis did something radically different from what the spirit of the times told them. They broke the cycle of violence.
This special meeting is the starting point of the musical encounter between the musicians of Constantinople and Holland Baroque. Together, they float between old and new music, improvisations and compositions, the Far East and the West. A call for international dialogue and peace. Constantinople has chosen the journey – geographically certainly, but also historically, culturally and internally – as its cornerstone. It draws inspiration from all sources and focuses on distant horizons.
Every year, Holland Baroque plays a concert especially for friends and donors. Thank you for your indispensable support, you contribute to the future of baroque. Would you like to contribute too? Fantastic! Joining Holland Baroque means committing yourself to a wonderful ensemble and investing in a future full of new music and inspiration. Click here to find out more.
With its free and open-minded approach, Holland Baroque builds bridges between styles and cultures. With tireless interest, Holland Baroque approaches the score as an unfinished work of art: with knowledge, skill, imagination and playfulness, Baroque becomes a new experience. Time and again, both ensembles prove time and again that interest, research, and creativity lead to unique programmes.
Programme
Cantico del Frate Sole (Canticle of the Sun from 1225), works from the Laudario di Cortona-manuscript, works by Ali Ufki (1610-1675) and new pieces by Kiya Tabassian, Didem Bașar, and Tineke and Judith Steenbrink.
Musical direction
Judith and Tineke Steenbrink
Arrangements by Judith and Tineke Steenbrink