D O W L N D R A K E

In "DowlandDrake" soprano Annelies Van Gramberen and singer-songwriter Sim Van Thienen unite their worlds to create a new universe of sound. Together they take the listener on an adventurous journey along shadowy paths and into the hidden depths of the human soul. The songs of the troubadours and "knights of melancholy" John Dowland and Nick Drake form the starting point for this intense musical journey. In the tender and often deeply melancholic lute songs of John Dowland (1563-1626), longing and loss resound in every note. They earned him a place among the most famous composers and lutenists of the English Renaissance. His songs were collected in various "Bookes of Songes" or "Ayres", which enjoyed great popularity and were reprinted several times. Four centuries later, singer-songwriter Nick Drake (1948-1974) brought the same emotional intensity to his own struggles and existential questions. With spare, delicate guitar chords and a fragile voice, he created a dreamy, intimate soundscape in his timeless songs. In contrast to Dowland, Drake only received the recognition he deserved after his death. Annelies Van Gramberen and Sim Van Thienen do not simply play the songs, but deconstruct and reshape them into new, original creations. Against the background of a rich soundscape of vocal and instrumental loops, electronics and an arsenal of guitars, Annelies' voice breathes new life into the music. The tension between the processed, sometimes artificial textures of the electronics and the natural, organic warmth of the classical voice and acoustic guitar results in a fresh and surprisingly seamless interpretation of this repertoire.