THE ST. GEORGE’S MASS

The Saint George’s Mass - where Mass meets Arts – is rooted in the early mediaeval principal where both art and religion were interwoven. This project is based on the traditional Latin mass for chorus and orchestra composed by the artist Herman Finkers. Who happens to be a very popular comedian in the Netherlands. We are looking for countries and their artists who would like to participate in this special European project. Each country invites an artist who will be inspired by a part of this mass and will then give an artistic interpretation. Each form of art is permitted; dance, film, animation, visual arts etcetera. Eventually this will result in a high quality production in which the creativity of the different artists will merge with the heavenly sounds of the St. George’s Mass and thus creating a unique European art film. “Not until you let loose the intellect, you can use that same intellect to get closer to the mysterious, closer to the essence of art.” (Herman Finkers) ART AND RELIGION One of the aims of this project is to bring together art and religion. Once they were inseparable. Today they seem to be separated further than ever before. A substantional number of works of art in the European culture was greatly influenced by religion. Both literary and visual, architectural, musical and theatrical. In many cases it was work commissioned by the church, the convents or other religious institutions . Both art and religion arise from the same delicate fragility within us. Our present day to day language is not capable to describe our wants and needs and to express our self deeply. To offer us comfort and hope. To enable us to share this with others. Hence there is need for another language. A heart-to-heart language. Art is such a language. Poetry, dance, music and visual art try to bring to voice what is unspeakable. Art is capable of transcending reality and entering a universal world, in which we can let our imagination flow limitlessly. This is not very different from religion. Even religion assumes a world bigger than we can see or imagine. Ancient rituals in particular give us the opportunity to express our self at a time that words fall short. At important moments in life such as birth, marriage and death, one would like to shout out for joy or sorrow. But one becomes speechless then. In those moments, religion can offer us a language to articulate and to share with those we love. In other words, religion and art belong together. They share the same source.