Sacred Choral Works Through the Centuries of Europe - Ars Nova Sacra Choir

The Ars Nova Sacra Vocal Ensemble will present a special programme of sacred choral music at the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula in Brussels, taking the audience on a musical journey through the centuries and diverse traditions of European sacred music.

The Ars Nova Sacra Vocal Ensemble was founded in 2005 under the direction of physicians Dénes Répássy and Gábor Répássy. Its origins reach back to the 1980s, when a group of enthusiastic and accomplished singers came together to perform Guillaume de Machaut’s Messe de Nostre Dame, a work that was little known in Hungary at the time.

The ensemble’s name was inspired by Machaut (c. 1300–1377), whose period represents the musical era known as the Ars Nova. The addition of Sacra reflects the ensemble’s strong connection to the performance of sacred music, which has always formed an important part of its repertoire.

The members of the ensemble are intellectuals and professionals from diverse fields who share a strong commitment to artistic excellence. They pursue choral singing alongside their professional careers, bringing both dedication and a distinctive perspective to their musical work.

A particular focus of Ars Nova Sacra is the performance of rarely heard or virtually unknown works, giving audiences the opportunity to discover music that seldom appears in concert programmes. At the same time, the ensemble enjoys approaching well-known masterpieces within its own intimate framework, exploring them through the refined and distinctive sound of a chamber choir.

Through its performances, Ars Nova Sacra seeks to create an intimate dialogue between music, space and audience, allowing the spiritual depth and artistic richness of sacred choral music to resonate within the unique setting of the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula.

The Brussels concert offers an opportunity to experience a selection of sacred works spanning different periods of European musical history, performed by an ensemble whose artistic identity is rooted in curiosity, musical excellence and a passion for discovering and sharing exceptional choral repertoire.