‘Corpo-Acústica’ [Body-Acoustics] is the theme of the innovative artistic project that Novaterra, the Arte e Ambiente Cultural Association and the Route of the Romanesque are set to promote across the Sousa, Douro and Tâmega valleys.

The first two performances are scheduled for Sunday 10 May in Amarante:

– 11am, Monastery of Freixo de Baixo;

– 3.30pm, Monastery of Travanca.

Corpo-Acústica is a sensory experience that seeks to train the voice based on how the body reacts to different types of reverberation.

The characteristic silence of monasteries and churches forms the essence of this project, which aims to cultivate attentive listening and a deep awareness of physical presence as a source of sound that leads to peace.

Devotional in nature, the music is improvised from Latin prayers, such as the Salve Regina or the Ave Maria. The voices improvise and float over the sustained note of a crystal bowl, transforming silence into melody and melody into silence.

The project also offers an encounter with the historical legacy of these spaces, seeking to awaken a deeper perception of their spiritual, symbolic and artistic dimensions, with the support of a Heritage Interpreter from the Route of the Romanesque.

The project is directed by the soprano and founder of Novaterra, Ana Maria Pinto.

Registration for the sensory experiences at the Monasteries of Freixo de Baixo and Travanca is now closed.