The psalms are about refugees searching for a safe haven, leaders who abuse their power, people who place fear above courage, or courage above fear. Topical themes, for thousands of years already. 150 Psalms regards the Psalms as a mirror of society: great themes from 3,000 years ago are still relevant today. During 150 Psalms, all 150 psalms will be performed, each one written by a different composer: from Josquin to Rossi and from Gretchaninov to Schumann. Contemporary composers will write especially for the project, like the American composer David Lang and the Lebanese composer Zad Moultaka.

After having booked international successes in Utrecht (NL), New York and Brussels, this monumental hommage to 1000 years of psalm music, initiated by the Netherlands Chamber Choir, is now continuing its journey across the world. Together with the internationally renowned choirs The Tallis Scholars, The Norwegian Solists’ Choir and The Song Company, 150 Psalms will be making its appearance during the 2020 Adelaide Festival in Australia. For more information, see the concert dates on this page, or the event page on the website of the Adelaide Festival.

 

Performers

Netherlands Chamber Choir (Nederlands Kamerkoor)
Peter Dijkstra chief conductor
The Tallis Scholars
The Norwegian Soloists’ Choir (Det Norske Solistkor)
The Song Company

 

150 Psalms premiered at the Festival Oude Muziek, September 1 and 2 in TivoliVredenburg, Utrecht. Nederlands Kamerkoor, initiator of 150 Psalms, invited three of the world’s best vocal ensembles to join them in this project: The Tallis Scholars, Det Norske Solistkor and the The Choir of Trinity Wall Street. Together they performed 12 concerts with all 150 psalms in each weekend. Lectures, debates, workshops and an interactive exhibition together formed a peripheral program that placed the Psalms at the centre of current affairs. An undoubted highlight of each day was provided by a Nobel Prize winner who reflected on the major themes from the Psalms, as seen from the perspective of his or her field.

In November 2017, 150 Psalms went to New York by the name of The Psalms Experience. Like in Utrecht, the 4 choirs performed all the 150 psalms in twelve concerts. The Psalms Experience was part of the Lincoln Center’s White Light Festival and the project started there with a panel discussion. In March 2018, the project was performed in Brussel at the Klarafestival under the name The Psalms Experience. 

Initiative & concept

Initiative: Nederlands Kamerkoor
Idea and concept: Tido Visser
Musicological concept: Leo Samama
Theological research: Gerard Swüste

 

Concert calendar

  • Sat. 29 February 2020 12:00

    St Peter's Cathedral - Adelaide, Australia

    A Mirror for Today’s Society

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  • Sun. 1 March 2020 20:00

    St Francis Xavier's Cathedral - Adelaide, Australia

    Suffering

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  • Tue. 3 March 2020 20:00

    Adelaide Town Hall - Adelaide, Australia

    Celebration of Life

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