Virgin martyrs, a topical project

 Since May 2008 the Schola has added a completely new project to its already extensive repertory. It was about time to start on something new, definitely after the Divina Comedia Gregoriana and Imago Christi, although we still perform both of them with great success.

The project: Virgin Martyrs

A few years ago we co-operated in a KRO project about the holy Agnes and the idea struck us to do something with this topic ourselves. We went more deeply into Margaret Visser’s “Geometrie van de liefde” (“Geometry of Love”), in which S Agnese-outside-the walls in Rome takes a central place and in our set-up she plays a prominent part as well.

Special about this project is its non-historicizing character: it is not just about women who died for their faith, even not about women whose virginity was violated because of their faith. After all, you can count on it that during the first centuries of Christianity truth and fiction in respect of virgin martyrs took their own course! No,the project also concerns itself with Woman and her Attitude in Society anno 2008. And this concept leads us into quite a different direction.

When we discussed our proposals with the cultural and religious department of the KRO-rkk, they were immediately enthusiastic about our great and huge undertaking.

During the Tweede Gregoriaanse Festival in Ravenstein on 31 May 2008 it was presented for the first time and well received.

At the moment the project can be presented in many ways: performances in churches dedicated to or bearing the name of Barbara, Lucia, Agnes, Caecilia or other martyrs. But, of course, also in ‘lay’ surroundings. With slides or without.

Moreover, it is our intention to record the project - texts and chants- on CD or, perhaps, DVD. For the moment, however, we give live performances, so that you can listen and watch what Karolus Magnus can offer about interesting women to interested men and women.

A dual and most topical happening.

To get an idea of the programme you can click on

http://www.katholieknederland.nl/hemelpoort/archief/2008/detail objectID676722.html#

 next you click on the image of issue 45.