In this programme, Tenebrae combines contemporary Swiss compositions with international masterpieces of choral literature. At the center are two commissions by composers Ivo Antognini and Jessica Ulusoy-Horsley.

The work “Dum Aurora” (2025) by Ticino composer Ivo Antognini combines emotional depth with sonic refinement, using a double choir. Swiss-British composer Jessica Ulusoy-Horsley’s work “in between” (2025) powerfully reflects on the theme of transcendence and the connection between sound and existence.

The programme is complemented by classics of sacred choral music, including Felix Mendelssohn’s “Denn er hat seinen Engeln befohlen” and William Byrd’s “Ave verum Corpus”, which is contrasted with a striking composition by Roderick Williams (2020). In his Ave verum re-imagined, the choir splits into three groups and envelops the audience in sound. After Samuel Barber’s “Agnus Dei”, the concert ends with Frank Martin’s Mass for Double Choir (1922–1926), a monumental testament to Swiss vocal tradition, forms the centerpiece of the concert.

Programme

Ivo Antognini – Dum Aurora (2025) (World Premiere)
Felix Mendelssohn – Denn er hat seinen Engeln befohlen (1844)
Jessica Ulusoy-Horsley – colours of light’s sound (2024/25)
in between (Music of Angels No. 2) (2025) Swiss Premiere
William Byrd – Ave verum Corpus (1605)
Roderick Williams – Ave verum Re-imagined (2016)
Samuel Barber – Agnus Dei (1967)
Frank Martin – Messe pour double chœur (1922–1926)

Artist(s)