HOLY GHOST
BREATH, SPIRIT, SOUND
4 musicians. 45-70 minutes. 2026-
Holy Ghost is a listening experience that explores the invisible forces that animate both music and belief:
breath, spirit, fire, and motion.
The program draws inspiration from the ancient Greek concept of pneuma—the life-giving breath or spirit—and the Christian vision of the Holy Ghost as “tongues of fire.” This invisible, vital presence evokes both divine energy and the fear of emptiness (horror vacui) that drives human beings to ornament, embellish, and fill space with sound.
Performed by the traverso consort Phaedrus together with voice, Holy Ghost brings breath to life. These are instruments powered by air, conjuring a musical landscape that hovers between the seen and unseen. At the heart of the program are motets from the 16th-century Basevi Codex (MS 2439), whose richly layered polyphony will be reimagined through improvisation, ornamentation, and intricate diminution techniques.
Works by Alexander Agricola, Pierre de la Rue, Josquin Desprez, and others form the backbone of this performance, where precise musical architecture meets ecstatic ornament. As the flutes and voice intertwine, they build an auditory space that flickers between presence and absence, structure and spirit: an evocation of the Holy Ghost not as doctrine, but as sound in motion.
4 musicians
MARA WINTER
Artistic direction, traverso
JONATAN ALVARADO
Voice
RENAISSANCE TRAVERSO CONSORT
Mara Winter
Charlotte Schneider
Liane Sadler
MUSICAL CONTENT
Duration
45-70 minutes (depending on context)
Composers
Ghiselin, Prioris, de la Rue, Agricola, Nino le Petit, etc.
Examples
Royne du ciel / Regina celi - Prioris
A la mort on prioit / Monstra te esse matrem - Josquin (Canon)
Belles sur toutes / Tota pulcra es amica mea - Agricola
Missa super O praeclara - Credo - Isaac