Now in its 15th edition, Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay’s A Tapestry of Sacred Music returns once more to bless audiences with religious music, showcasing the spirituality of sound to bring peace to our hearts in this conflict-ridden reality we live in. As always, the festival aims to help audiences better appreciate the beauty of others through art, with these songs and dances performed in the darkest of hours, for both devotees of the festival and newcomers too.

This year’s festivities bring a swathe of programmes aimed to whisk audiences to another world, transforming various spaces and venues into the vibrant landscapes of grasslands, the serenity of temples, or the awe-inspiring ambience of churches. The festival opens at the Forecourt Garden with Blessings of the Barong, where the space will be transformed into a Balinese temple stage. Witness the Barong and Rangda, fearsome creatures imbued with magic, as we watch this performance of chaos and restoration, performed with massive, ornate costumes, in an auspicious, sacred ritual.

Balinese performers will showcase the heritage artforms that are associated with their villages, such as the elaborately costumed ritual drama of wayang wong, the otherworldly night ceremony to ward off epidemics of Calon Arang, and the iconic kecak chants with performers seated in concentric circles. Gather close, and experience the dances and gamelan music in closer proximity, similar to how they would be authentically experienced in a village.

Elsewhere, be sure to catch the Throat Singers of Tuva—Huun-Huur-Tu—known for their uncanny vocal ability of singing more than one note at a time, recreating sounds of nature. UNESCO Artist for Peace Kudsi Erguner returns, leading a Sufi music ensemble comprising two of the most prominent Turkish Islamic vocalists, Imams Bekir Büyükbaş and Yunus Balcıoğlu. In a special feature of Quran recitation, the two imams will also make the evening call to prayer at the upper foyer spaces of the Concert Hall in Muezzins of İstanbul, where audiences can witness the transition of the sky during sunset through the centre’s iconic glass domes.

Over at the Concert Hall, Singapore’s only Gregorian chant ensemble Schola Cantorum Sancti Gregorii Magni presents Gregorian Chants: Easter Vespers, with acoustics adjusted to replicate that of a cathedral. Patrons for this performance are invited to contemplate and experience the songs in a different way, where they can sit, stand, or wander around silently at different locations of the Concert Hall much like how the music would be experienced in a chapel. Vocalist and internet phenomenon Callie Day also sets to return to the Concert Hall, as she prepares a gospel music performance in Bringing It Back To Church – be sure to check out her vocal rendition of Moses Hogan’s Hear My Prayer, which has received close to seven million views on Youtube.

Finally, guests can also check out more visually-focused rituals, such as the Sword Dance of Iwate. At first created to dispel evil spirits, this prayer dance later persisted in Iwate as a tradition that appeases the ancestral spirits of the once powerful clans in the region, where while dancing, Buddhist chants are intoned and the practitioners move in a set of ritual dance steps. With each trampling movement, negativity in the land is quelled, alongside prayers for peace, happiness and abundance. Find healing with the Medicine Buddha Sand Mandala, complete with a ceremonial destruction on 14th April.

Whether mandalas or storytelling, sword dances or ancient rituals, gospel music or chants, allow these entrancing, otherworldly performances to help you access your emotions, to uplift as they carry the hopes, dreams, and anxieties that we all share, expressed in different ways, to a higher power. A myriad of experiences await you, as you seek out the peace you deserve, when you come to the Esplanade this weekend, for A Tapestry of Sacred Music.

A Tapestry of Sacred Music runs from 12th to 14th April 2024 at Esplanade – Theatres by the Bay. Tickets and full programme available here