In a groundbreaking concert, the Netherlands Chamber Choir explores the thin yet fascinating line between madness and genius. Waanzin! is a theatrical journey through works by the French-Lebanese composer Zad Moultaka and the English composer Peter Maxwell Davies, full of cultural and historical cross-connections. The program connects the mystical poetry of the ‘mad’ ninth-century Sufi Al-Hallaj with the delusional world of the English King George III.

The concert opens with a new work for choir and harpsichord by the French-Lebanese composer Zad Moultaka. For this, he uses texts by the famous mystic and poet Al-Hallaj, often seen as a martyr of mystical Islamic philosophy. His radical statements, such as the famous phrase ‘I am the Truth’, were considered ‘mad’ by some of his contemporaries.

Eight Songs for a Mad King by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies tells the story of the English King George III, plagued by delusions. The unpredictable structure of the piece reflects the king’s inner chaos and the boundary between rationality and madness.

Program

Zad Moultaka (1967)
I Am the Truth!

Peter Maxwell Davies (1934-2016)
Eight Songs for a Mad King