Composer Kate Moore walks the Pelgrimspad from Amsterdam to Den Bosch to raise money for Herz Ensemble in preparation for the 2018/19 Zielsverwanten series at the Muziekgebouw and The Bosch Requiem at November Music.
Kate Moore: My aim is to raise funds for Herz Ensemble by going on a sponsored pilgrimage walking from the sacred route from Amsterdam to Den Bosch via the pelgrimspad. These funds will contribute to their upcoming season of concerts at The Muziekgebouw aan ‘t Ij, The Korzo Theater and November Music’s 2018 Bosch Requiem. In particular this fundraiser will contribute to the travel costs , flights and accommodation for guest musicians and composers and the production and recording costs of all the music. This sponsorship and fundraising is held by Stichting Magnolias for Ears, a foundation devoted to the promotion of new music, to which Herz Ensemble is affiliated.
In the season 2018-2019 Herz Ensemble will join me for this year’s Zielsverwanten composer/ artisti in residence at The Muziekgebouw, performing two new programmes devoted to composers who I admire who represent people from diverse backgrounds. Herz ensemble will also be house ensemble for my major piece the 2018 Bosch Requiem Lux Aeterna: VIVID. It is a huge honour to be able to work with my own band for these prestigious projects and going on a deep journey into music together is a privalege. It is an honour for me to work with an all-star cast of musicians of such a high callibre who work together frequently and have worked with me extensively. This ongoing collaboration contributes to an unspoken understanding between players creating a fluency in the music, making it come alive with vibrancy and commitment.
A major work for this season is to write a Requiem for the city of Den Bosch commissioned by November Music. Being a sacred city filled with miracles and mysteries, I felt a strong urge to prepare myself by following the traditional pilgrimage path from Amsterdam to Den Bosch via the Pelgrimspad. Walking and hiking historical routes have played an important role in my work over the years and I am fascinated by the traditional custom of the piligrimage. Works such as The Canterbury Tales and Song of the Open Road by Walt Whitman and the Songlines resonate with me. My aim is to follow the footsteps of the ancestors in a way that reveres this tradition and creates stories along the way. I will walk as a pentitent, wearing simple clothing and bare feet, carrying little with me so that I may reconnect with the great energy and harmony of the earth and sky. I revere this sacred tradition and the inner transformation of the soul that occurs along the path. It is fitting for me to undertake this so as to prepare for work on the Requiem and to raise the funds to support my musicians.
My biggest passion as a curator is to bring passionate and exceptional composers and performers together from diverse backgrounds, cultures and ideologies to make music together. I have invited three guest performers to join the band, Korean/ Australian pianist Vivian Choi who is based in New York, TIMUR, the vocal artist from LA and Australian aboriginal song-man/ composer and violinist Eric Avery. In the band, players join together from all corners of the globe, and a variety of backgrounds. It is with pleasure that I call on your support on our journey together.
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