The crown of thorns is one of the most venerated relics of Christ and served as inspiration to many mediaeval composers. In 1239, the French king Louis IX brought the holy relic from Constantinople to Paris. In the 13th and 14th centuries, two thorns from the crown were presented to the Czech kings as a gift. These are now preserved in the cathedral in Prague. The female singers of the Tiburtina Ensemble perform the music of the thorns journey from Constantinople via Paris to Prague with purity and spine-tingling precision.

23 August, 2017 22:15 -- st-pauluskerk

Passionate Italian madrigals by the cream of Renaissance composers including Marenzio, Lassus, de Rore, de Wert, Tromboncino and Monteverdi. Petrarch was head-over-heels in love with the beautiful Laura, although she was married to someone else. Even after her death, he continued to write sublimely beautiful poetry for his unattainable beloved. RossoPorpora, a young Italian ensemble that impressed us at the festival in 2014, sings with great passion about sorrowful love, broken relationships, desire and tormented, unattainable love.

24 August, 2017 13:00 -- amuz

John Baldwin, a member of the choir of St Georges Chapel in Windsor, made transcripts of the music sung there in the 1570s and 1580s. His notes constitute one of the largest collections of Marian polyphony, written at the time of Henry VIII and Mary Tudor. The song texts honour Mary as the mother of God and the Virgin with her child. The British ensemble Contrapunctus, directed by Owen Rees, combines a powerful interpretation with pioneering study and exploration. They are currently artists in residence at Oxford University.

24 August, 2017 20:00 -- st-jacobskerk

The female singers of Psallentes bring the 16th century manuscript made for the Cistercian nuns in Salzinnes back to life. The abbey that stood on the Sambre near Namur has all but disappeared: only a semicircular entrance gate to the adjacent farm remains. The manuscript, which is now kept in Halifax in Canada, has been digitised by the Alamire Digital Lab. Besides magnificent Gregorian chants, it contains colourful images of the nuns themselves. They had the manuscript made as a gesture of respect to the saints.

24 August, 2017 22:15 -- st-andrieskerk

Jacobus Vaet is one of the greatest Flemish polyphonists, whose work is not performed as often as it should be. He represents the generation between Josquin des Prez and Orlandus Lassus. He based his Missa Ego flos campi on the motet by Clemens non Papa of the same name, which was inspired in turn by the Song of Songs. Vaet uses the musical line of the sentence sicut lilium inter spinas (like a lily among thorns) in various places. The male voices of Cinquecento create a delicate, harmonious sound, and the awards they have won with their recording of Vaets music are richly deserved.

25 August, 2017 13:00 -- amuz

Welcome to this island of adoration: a place where everyone admires everyone else. We worship each other with music and dance. An attentive ear, an eagle eye and a helpful heart take us beyond the boundaries of what we thought we could do. After all, if we really want to adore each other, only the best music will do. Drenched in sunny sonnets: Isola Idola, the island of imagination. Final presentation of the music camp for children aged 6 to 16.

25 August, 2017 16:00 -- st-andrieskerk