Artist celebration with vocal ensemble Aura Vocis

On Sunday, August 16, 2026, the feast of Our Lady Vrouw Hemelvaart will be celebrated in the Sint-Rikierskerk van Bredene-Dorp with a special artist mass. The solemn high mass will be musically provided by the Ghent vocal ensemble Aura Vocis. Aura Vocis – literally the aura of the voice – is a young vocal collective that dedicates itself to music with deep historical roots. The ensemble brings both Renaissance music and contemporary compositions that find their inspiration in the rich tradition of polyphony. With refined a cappella singing, Aura Vocis takes the listener to the essence of vocal music and creates an atmosphere in which the pure power and beauty of the human voice are central. During the celebration, music will be heard from, among others, the impressive six-part mass by Tomás Luis de Victoria (1548–1611), published in 1605 and considered one of the most moving masterpieces of the late Renaissance. This composition breathes a special serenity in which human vulnerability and spiritual comfort come together. In addition, the singers will perform a number of Marian songs from different time periods. Thus, Mother of God van John Tavener, the beloved Bogoroditse Devo van Sergej Rachmaninoff – the Slavic counterpart of the Ave Maria – and Nigra Sum van Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, inspired by the centuries-old devotion to the Zwarte Madonna, will resound. Music by, among others, William Byrd and Jean Sibelius is also on the program. Although the works come from different countries, traditions, and centuries, they share the same spiritual core: singing as a carrier of faith, stillness, and hope. The ensemble is under the artistic direction of Wouter Demuynck. For him, born and raised in Bredene, performing in the Sint-Rikierskerk means a special reunion with the place where his musical story once began. The artist mass will take place on Sunday, August 16, 2026, at 11 am during the high mass in the Sint-Rikierskerk in Bredene-Dorp. Everyone is warmly welcome.