Expanding Time

Gregorian chants in original neume notation, performed by the vocal ensemble Vox Nostra enter into a sound dialog with Sufi poetry in Arabic performed by the egyptian-nubian-german artist Rasha Ragab. The spherical sounds of the stone harps by Christoph Nicolaus (Munich), the earthy tones of the bass flute by Normisa Pereira da Silva (Berlin) and a water performance by Rasha Ragab interact with this.

Sema (dervish spinning dance) and soundscapes from the zen buddhist music tradition can be integrated.

The artists are inspired by free-flowing forms such as the monastic psalm chants and the poetic power of Sufi poems. Human breath is the time measure for articulation and expression. Movements and changes of place in the performance area also give the space itself its own atmospheric voice.

At the center is love for creation as a spiritual connection and common task of cultures. Here, the special focus is on the historical significance of women. The female mystics Rabi’a of Basra and Hildegard of Bingen are the focus: two great women of mysticism in a dialogue that transcends time and space.

Know more about us

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.