Expanding Time

Gregorian chants from the Middle Ages in original neumatic notation based on texts from the Old and New Testaments interweave with over 1,000-year-old Sufi poetry in Arabic, the sperical sounds of little-known stone harps, and the earthy tones of a bass flute. The wistful breath of the reed flute ney and oriental ornaments of the Arabic lute oud accompany sema, the mystical dance of whirling dervishes. An intimate performance brings home the preciousness of water.

The focus is on love for creation as a shared task and spiritual connection between all spiritual paths. Special attention is paid to the historical significance of women. The important mystics Rabi’a of Basra (9th century) and Hildegard of Bingen (12th century) come into a connection through their texts and compositions: two great women in a dialogue that transcends time and space.

Human breath is the measure of time for articulation and expression.

During the performance, the actors move around the space, lending the location itself an atmospheric voice of its own. This creates a spiritual interplay of sound, movement, and poetry.

Background:

In a world increasingly marked by crises, conflicts and social division, the concert performance EXPANDING TIME sends a powerful message of dialogue, respect and humanity.

Jewish, Christian and Islamic cultures come together in a sensitive and artistic musical form – an impressive symbol of mutual respect and the potential for cultural understanding.

Despite all their differences, there are many similarities between religions and cultures that deserve more attention in our increasingly diverse society. Treating each other with respect and showing interest in one another and our shared history helps to build bridges and learn from each other in order to shape our common present and future.

EXPANDING TIME invites the audience to focus above all on what connects cultures – with all their senses, full of openness and wonder.

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Testimonials

Visitor's feedback May 5, 2024 in Herz Jesu Kirche, Munich

Thank you very much - wonderful, a mystical experience, you felt completely dissolved and light as a cloud, as if your own atoms were connecting with those of the world and all beings, a feeling of happiness, I was in tears - an expanse, like the sea, encompassing all times, religions and regions - beautiful, the room perfect for it! Please repeat!

Visitor's feedback May 5, 2024 in Herz Jesu Kirche, Munich

It was simply very deep, concentrated, I was very moved.

Visitor's feedback May 5, 2024 in Herz Jesu Kirche, Munich

That was a very magical, mystical concert yesterday! Wonderful compilation. Thank you very much!!!

Visitor's feedback May 5, 2024 in Herz Jesu Kirche, Munich

Thank you for this wonderful evening yesterday in the Sacred Heart Church! It was very meditative, very inward, as was written in the announcement text, and the way the artists treated each other was also very gentle. I think this music also has a healing, at least a very balancing, organizing effect. Of course, this church is also the ideal place for this kind of music. I'm already looking forward to the next time!

One of many visitors’ comments April 12, 2024 in the Paderborn Diocesan Museum

During the concert I thought, this must be what it's like in heaven

Dr. Ulrich Hörwick, Consultant for Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue in the Episcopal Ordinariate of Augsburg 07. December 2023

We found the event to be very successful and enjoyable. We were pleasantly surprised that so many interested people found their way to the lecture (by Dr. Katherina Ceming) and the concert in the Moritzkirche in Augsburg. The mysterious sounds of the instruments, the deep mysticism of Hildegard von Bingen and the vocal pieces performed with great vocal precision came together wonderfully to form a fulfilling whole. Personally, I was most moved by the pieces Pulchra es et decora (Song of Songs) & Ps 113 In exitu Israel tonus peregrinus, certainly prepared by the increasing, mystical mood of the preceding melodies. An extraordinary concert of particular density and, thanks to the excellent instrumentation, a great experience.

Priest and Islamic Scholar Thomas Amberg Nürnberg 09. August 2022

… the sound sphere of the unusual instrument stone harp by Christoph Nicolaus draws the listener into a space of presence; an experience with all senses, inescapable and bodily. Intuitively beyond cognitive comprehension, the visitors become part of the performance; while around the church of St. Egidien in Nuremberg hustle and bustle and summer heat rage, a flowing spreads in the space; Movement between Gregorian melody arches and the earthy modulating voice of the bass flute of Normisa Pereira da Silva. Sounds and bodies move dynamically in the church space: foreboding - coming - existence - going - reverberation ... Latin and Arabic: the compositions of the two medieval mystics Hildegard of Bingen and Rabia of Basra revolve around the experience of the unavailable "life force" of the divine; scooping with her hands, water flows melodically over the dark arms and hands of the Egyptian-Nubian artist Rasha Ragab, who confidently walks through the church space and recites. As a man, Burkard Wehner gives his voice to the woman Hildegard von Bingen. Singing and reciting, both testify in their own way to the "unspeakable", to the joy of a mysterious "unio", which is union and dissolution at the same time. An experience... demanding, dense, leading into the wide...

Jean-Marie Weber (Online version) 07 February 2020

The 20th Opening Festival marked a successful commencement, drawing a sizable audience of enthusiasts of modern experimental music. The Viehmarktthermen's intricate architecture served as an ideal stage for the diverse performance, with the arrangement of chairs around a reductionist wash basin creating a unique ambiance for "EXPANDING TIME." The vocal ensemble "VOX NOSTRA" presented medieval chants, accompanied by a trio featuring an excellent counter tenor and the mesmerizing drone sounds of the shrutibox. The repertoire included compositions by Hildegard von Bingen, highlighted by Normisa Pereira da Silva's remarkable bass flute performance. Rasha Ragab introduced a mystical Sufi recitation in Arabic, creating a primal alienation effect amidst the evocative setting. The imagery of her hands at a meager sink, producing a high song reminiscent of southern Spanish Moorish heritage, left a lasting impression. Stone harps, activated in solo improvisations by Christoph Nicolaus, added to the immersive sonic experience. The performance, a celebration of interconnected sounds and architectural beauty, resonated with the audience, leading to a delayed but heartfelt applause. The organizers, Thomas Rath and Bernd Bleffert, presented roses to the troupe, culminating in a joyous and lasting appreciation.

Gazette Neue Musik August issue 2020

...With expanding time we enter unrestrictedly blissful realms: Christoph Nicolaus' magical stone harps, Normisa Pereira da Silva's bass flute, Burkard Wehner's medieval chants and Rasha Ragab's Sufi recitations immerse the room in a sacred atmosphere. Musicians and audience are scattered around the room, each on their own, yet closely connected. The stone harps are granite blocks with deep incisions, from which spherical, vibrating sounds are elicited by touches that seem like gentle caresses. These seem to come from everywhere and can be experienced not only with the ears but with the whole body - a true sound massage.