Musica Sacra: Heilige Huisjes

‘Tegen heilige huisjes schoppen’ or ‘Heilige huisjes omverschoppen’ (literally: kicking over sacred houses) are typically Dutch expressions. They hardly appear in other European languages like German, English, French or Italian. To ‘kick against sacred houses’ means to challenge taboos or question what is considered untouchable. Of course, this attitude isn’t limited to a particular language area. Sacred houses often turn out to be tied to their time. Many works of avant-garde art that once kicked over such sacred houses are now considered classics.

Other sacred houses are timeless: spaces—whether natural or man-made—where people use rituals to give meaning to their lives. These don’t necessarily have to be physical places. Certain kinds of music can serve as sanctuaries themselves: wherever they sound, an overarching sonic experience can arise in which people have a sense of the sacred or share a profound connection. In this edition of Musica Sacra, there is room for music that honours untouchable physical or spiritual spaces—as well as music that questions them.