Holland Baroque + Ensemble Constantinople
Holland Baroque + Ensemble Constantinople

Franciscus & de Sultan

Holland Baroque + Ensemble Constantinople + lecture by Saskia Törnqvist
Sun 23 Nov 2025 20:15 - 21:35
Sun 23 Nov 2025
20:15 - 21:35
  • Sun 23 Nov 2025
    20:15 - 21:35
    Grote Zaal
    Past event

Program

19:00 / Kleine Zaal / Early Music lecture (Dutch spoken)
The musical odyssey of Francis of Assisi by Saskia Törnqvist

20:15 / Grote Zaal / Main programme
Didem Başar Echoes of the Throne Room*
Tineke Steenbrink Frate Vento / Angelus Bells* / Walking in the Desert
Judith Steenbrink & Dimitrius Cantemir Heaven lives in the other
Judith Steenbrink Welcome / Lauda / Sia laudato San Francesco
Ali Ufki Muhayyer Semai*
Kiya Tabassian Bood Amma Naboud* / Dream of Hope*

*orchestration Judith Steenbrink

Credits

Holland Baroque
Judith Steenbrink and Tineke Steenbrink musical direction

Constantinople:
Kiya Tabassian setar, voice
Didem Başar kanun
Patrick Graham percussion

An appeal to international dialogue and peace

More than 800 years ago, Francis of Assisi walked barefoot to the camp of Sultan Malek al-Kamil. Instead of fighting, Francis and the sultan engaged in spiritual conversations for three days and saw in each other a longing for peace. This is how they ended the cycle of violence between Christians and Muslims during the time of the Fifth Crusade. That meeting forms the inspiration for a musical dialogue in this programme.

Ensemble Constantinople and Holland Baroque fuse cultures and styles. They traverse boundaries between old and new, East and West, improvisation and composition. Constantinople explores distant horizons, while Holland Baroque lends baroque a touch of whimsical freedom. Together they show that interest and creativity go beyond borders, and that music is a universal language of unity and innovation. An appeal to international dialogue and peace.

7 p.m. / Early Music lecture (Dutch spoken) by Saskia Törnqvist
The musical odyssey of Francis of Assisi

Francis of Assisi’s spiritual dialogue with Sultan Malek al-Kamil presents a beautiful opportunity for a musical journey of discovery in Francis’s footsteps. What music might he have encountered on his travels? Starting with his very own Canticle of the Sun and Tuscan lauds, the exploration delves into the vast realm of the Sultan, a place where echoes of the Mongolian steppes mixed with the sophisticated musical traditions of Persia and Arabia. This lecture invites you to embark with Franciscus on a journey to various musical oases and listen closely to what they offer.

This concert will be broadcast live by NTR on NPO Klassiek


Programme booklet (Dutch)

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