VoxBona concert

Concert Tour VoxBona
Saturday, 17 October – Sunday, 25 October 2026
Graz – Klagenfurt – Ossiach

THE HUMAN BEING – “Voices of the Soul”

The Human Being – Voices of the Soul is a choral concert that explores the human soul in the defining and fragile moments of life.
Experience an evening of musical diversity and emotional depth. VoxBona presents a richly varied programme ranging from political commitment and spiritual longing to existential reflections on love, loneliness, and death.
Spanning works from the Renaissance to the present day — from the classical madrigal to contemporary choral music — the programme always places the HUMAN BEING at its centre: with all its longings and dreams, its love, joy, violence, and the many facets of its soul.
Below are a few selected works from the programme:

“Advance Democracy” by Benjamin Britten

This work is a passionate appeal for the preservation of democracy. In 1938, Britten set Randall Swingler’s poem to music, creating an uncompromising political statement. Written in a time of profound uncertainty before the Second World War, the piece expresses deep concern over the erosion of democratic values. Britten employs the full expressive range of the human voice — from rhythmic whispering to bold layers of powerful fortissimo sound. The virtuosity and energy of the music form a compelling plea for freedom and humanity.

“Even When He Is Silent” by Kim André Arnesen

Arnesen’s work is a deeply moving setting of an anonymous poem written by a Holocaust survivor. The music speaks of hope, faith, and the enduring strength of humanity even in the darkest times. Through both simple, touching harmonies and rapidly expanding clusters of sound, Arnesen succeeds in expressing universal emotions of despair, longing, and ultimately, consolation and hope.

“Sagastipean” by Javier Busto

This choral work is a delicate and atmospheric love song to life and nature. The text by Inazio Mujika tells of a person lying in an apple orchard, surrounded by grass and blossoms, intertwining feelings of joy and sorrow with the elements of nature. Javier Busto’s music brings these moods vividly to life in three sections: a calm opening in which the choir gradually builds a cluster of scale-like tones; a lively dance introduced by the women’s voices in shifting, intricate rhythms; and finally an exhilarating, pop-inspired dance rhythm for the full choir, before concluding with a dreamlike melody that gently lulls the listener into rest.

Programme

• Josef Rheinberger (1839–1901) — Abendlied
• Karin Rehnqvist (*1957) — I himmelen
• Johann Christoph Bach (1642–1703) — Der Gerechte
• Antonio Lotti (1667–1740) — Crucifixus
• Sven-David Sandström (1942–2019) — In Paradisum
• Kim André Arnesen (*1980) — Even When He Is Silent
• Johannes Brahms (1833–1897) — Warum ist das Licht gegeben
• Arvo Pärt (*1935) — The Deer’s Cry
• Javier Busto (*1949) — Sagastipean
• Stephen Paulus (1949–2014) — The Road Home
• Peder Karlsson (*1963) — Gøta
• Caroline Shaw (*1982) — Allemande
• Benjamin Britten (1913–1976) — Advance Democracy

TICKETS

Admission free

ORGANISER

VoxBona
Evangelische Kreuzkirchengemeinde Bonn
Adenauerallee 37
53113 Bonn
Germany
Stephanie Watin
Choir Management
Website: vox-bona.de