In the baroque church of St. Šimon and Judy, an unconventional music therapy program will take place in the evening of Monday, May 13, during which visitors led by Ondřej Tiché will meditate while listening to music by Bach and Handel performed by the Prague Symphony Orchestra. Before the concert, there is a contemplative walk around the church and inside.
“When the FOK dramaturg Martin Rudovský approached me some time ago with a request to see if we could jointly organize an evening in the Šimon and Judy church, in which those interested could gain strength and at least for a moment touch the original intention of the place, I was happy. In times of uncertainty and challenging questions that none of us know the answers to, we often have to expend enormous energy to be able to stop, be quiet, breathe or perceive the deeper meaning of things…
This evening, we want to create an opportunity for this for the third time and again in a different way. We listen, release our voices, connect with the architecture of the place and its acoustics, touch the ensemble compositions of JS Bach and GF Handel. In the nave of the church, the art and experience of not only FOK musicians will be combined. I will not divulge more, perhaps only that the local organ will also ‘speak’ before the town’s promised reconstruction in a non-traditional position with Jiřina Marešová’s improvisations. A novelty will be the possibility of a walk, which will take place from 19:45 to 20:15 and during which we will tune in to own evening“ he says Ondřej Tichý.
Ondřej Tichý deals with comprehensive music pedagogy and art projects for all generations, using music and voice for mental balance and personal growth, and playing instruments from different parts of the world. In his work, he imaginatively uses the acoustics of the space. In the church of St. In addition to meditative evenings, Šimon and Judy lead an educational meeting for children from Czech and Ukrainian classes in Prague elementary schools called Music for Each Other, organized in cooperation with the Symphony Orchestra City of Prague FOK, the Czech Philharmonic and the United Nations Children’s Fund UNICEF.
- Meditation Nocturne, Ondřej Tichý (©Petr Dyrc)
A word from FOK dramaturg Martin Rudovský
“The rapidly changing world not only increases the demands on ourselves, but also brings a necessity that we forget. Care of the soul. For May 2024, we are once again planning an evening intended for everyone who is looking for a space where they can stop, be quiet, restore their strength and mental balance, or participate together with musicians in making the spiritual space of the Church of St. Simon and Judas. In addition to FOK musicians, friendly musicians will also join the idea of the evening…”
Source: TZ
Opening photo: Meditation Nocturne, Ondřej Tichý (©Petr Dyrc)
