KIRCHKLANG 2026 - DA PACEM - Calls for peace

Da pacem - Calls for peace
A vocal program between plea and hope

Saturday, August 1, 2026, 8.00 pm
Oberwang parish church

-Programme-
Antiphona Da pacem Domine
Kyrie cum tropis Pater creator omnium
Responsorium Indicabo tibi
Philippus de MONTE: Miserere mei Deus
Introitus Factus est
Rens TIENSTRA: When David heard
Communio Illumina faciem tuam
Johann BEER: Quid moraris o anima mea for tenor and basso continuo
Offertorium Deus, Deus meus
Lectio in organis
Sophie REYER: Hope
Cypriano de RORE: Da pacem Domine
Vytautas MIŠKINIS: When I consider
Hymnus Optatus

-Cast
Graces & Voices
Dionysus NOW!
Jan Petryka, tenor
Martin Haselböck, organ
Antanina Kalechyts, program conception and idea

This program spans a wide temporal and spiritual arc: from the oldest traditional chants of the Christian tradition to contemporary compositions of our time. The focus is on the plea for peace - a motif that has united people for centuries and is articulated again and again, especially in times of war, upheaval and uncertainty.

At the heart of the evening are Gregorian chants, which have been passed down orally for centuries and have been written down since the 9th century. As Gregorian chants, they preserve a spiritual practice that transcends time, place and denomination. In antiphons, responsories, hymns and chants of the Liturgy of the Hours, an attitude of listening, calling and hoping is condensed. These chants are performed by the ensemble Graces & Voices , which has made a name for itself internationally for its combination of Gregorian chant and contemporary vocal music.

In dialog with this are polyphonic works from the Renaissance, for example by Philippus de Monte and Cypriano de Rore, as well as a rarely performed sacred work by the Upper Austrian baroque composer Johann Beer. Beer's music refers to the religious tensions of his time and to a practice of sacred polyphony that cannot be clearly defined by denomination. As a Lutheran, Beer worked at Protestant courts, but also set Latin sacred texts to music, whose musical language transcended denominational boundaries - an aspect that has particular resonance in the historical context of the Peasants' War period.

Contemporary compositions by Rens Tienstra, Sophie Reyer and Vytautas Miškinis, written especially for Graces & Voices, continue these centuries-old and new texts in a contemporary musical language.

In addition, the men's ensemble Dionysos NOW! will perform selected items from the program, adding an additional layer of historical depth with their exploration of early polyphonic music.

The result is a multi-layered program in which voices from different times meet. The longing for peace does not appear as a ready-made statement, but as an open call - carried by music that places past and present in a common resonance space.

This program spans a wide temporal and spiritual arc: from the oldest traditional chants of the Christian tradition to contemporary compositions of our time. The focus is on the plea for peace - a motif that has united people for centuries and is articulated again and again, especially in times of war, upheaval and uncertainty.

At the heart of the evening are Gregorian chants, which have been passed down orally for centuries and have been written down since the 9th century. As Gregorian chants, they preserve a spiritual practice that transcends time, place and denomination. In antiphons, responsories, hymns and chants of the Liturgy of the Hours, an attitude of listening, calling and hoping is condensed. These chants are performed by the ensemble Graces & Voices , which has made a name for itself internationally for its combination of Gregorian chant and contemporary vocal music.

In dialog with this are polyphonic works from the Renaissance, for example by Philippus de Monte and Cypriano de Rore, as well as a rarely performed sacred work by the Upper Austrian baroque composer Johann Beer. Beer's music refers to the religious tensions of his time and to a practice of sacred polyphony that cannot be clearly defined by denomination. As a Lutheran, Beer worked at Protestant courts, but also set Latin sacred texts to music, whose musical language transcended denominational boundaries - an aspect that has particular resonance in the historical context of the Peasants' War period.

Contemporary compositions by Rens Tienstra, Sophie Reyer and Vytautas Miškinis, written especially for Graces & Voices, continue these centuries-old and new texts in a contemporary musical language.

In addition, the men's ensemble Dionysos NOW! will perform selected items from the program, adding an additional layer of historical depth with their exploration of early polyphonic music.

The result is a multi-layered program in which voices from different times come together. The longing for peace does not appear as a ready-made statement, but as an open call - carried by music that places past and present in a common resonance space.