A ‘sound carpet’ for the first pilgrims by Zwaan de Vries

For the past three months, we have been working closely with voice coach Zwaan de Vries. Her idea to create a ‘tapestry of sound’ in the Stevenskerk is taking shape. Zwaan de Vries propagates ‘listening singing’: singing in contact with yourself and your environment. While singing or gurgling or growling, you discover what lives beneath the surface inside you and you set out with the people and the space around you to explore and express those feelings.

The opening of the Walk of Wisdom on June 21 will be her first practice of this form of singing in the Stevenskerk, which she loves. This time she keeps it well-behaved: the singers under her accompaniment improvise in service of the opening and the pilgrim’s song that has been written for this purpose. The sound carpet will be a red carpet for the pilgrims we wave goodbye to during the opening. After the opening, she wants to organize a sequel with more room for adventure and drama.

Her ‘good’ version often sounds wonderfully beautiful. During rehearsals in the Stevenskerk we receive a lot of positive comments and visitors often admire how the singers walk through the space and send their long tones into the vaults of the monumental building. Curious what the ‘good’ version sounds like? Come and listen during the opening ceremony on 21 June or secretly drop by during the rehearsals on 13 and 20 June in the Stevenskerk at 10.30 am.