Updated January 5 2012

the martyred virgins, 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:

THE MARTYRED VIRGINS

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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 Second Gregorian 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.

In June 2011, we were busy to record the project - texts and chants- on CD. For the texts: CLICK HERE

Now, January 2012 The CD is produced. Click here to order!

Brilliant classics writes:

About this release

Since the early days, Christianity has shown a reverence and respect towards virgins, usually young girls who rejected the advances of the occupying Roman forces, arguing that they were instead married to Christ. Often, these girls were raped, tortured and crucified by the authorities, and such atrocities extended through the Dark and Middle Ages and beyond, in cultures all over the world.

This stirring new CD sets Gregorian, Ambrosian chant and two episodes from the life of St Agnes, creating a musical memorial to female victims of violence and abuse, raising a plea for freedom, respect and peace to be established in today's world. Poems and texts by Tehlia Lieberman and Marthe Link, read in English, punctuate the chants, and there are moving accounts by women raped in Central Africa and girls forced to enter homes for single mothers and give up their children.

Other information:
- Recording made in 2011
- A moving and powerful programme of the old and new, dealing with an important and shocking issue that is still with us in the 21st century.
- 48-page booklet, containing extensive notes about the project by the artists, and complete texts of the chants, poems and readings in Dutch, English and Latin. The text in the booklet is a plea for female freedom, equal rights, respect and peace, regardless of religion or culture.

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