GRANDS CONCERTS: ENSEMBLE ALKYMIA / IN HONOREM VIRGINIS

Ensemble Alkymia explores the richness of sacred music from the city of La Plata, present-day Sucre in Bolivia. The programme In honorem Virginis reveals how the sacred and everyday life intertwined organically and expressively in the region. Motets in honor of the Virgin Mary, villancicos, tonadas, and morenadas create a colorful depiction of spirituality in which rhythm and melody of daily life coexist with prayer, celebration, and communal emotion. The 17th– and 18th-century works combine elements of local musical, dance rhythms, and European stylistic phrasing. Their conglomerate shows us that sacred music can be a historical record, a means of expressing emotions, and a way to connect us with the sacred. Ensemble Alkymia emphasises the harmony between the voice and the instruments, the pulse that resonates in the performers’ bodies and subtle melodic nuances, demonstrating that each note offers an opportunity for reflection on community, human fragility, and the intangible spiritual dimension. The music becomes a story through which the listener can feel the rhythm of life in La Plata, its faith, joy, and daily struggles, while experiencing a direct encounter with the transcendent.