Stravinsky and De Leeuw - de Doelen

Religion, mysticism, the divine, the superhuman: it is an enduring source of inspiration for composers. But where divine inspiration for some is prompted by a higher power, for others it is a pragmatic way to write something popular. 

Ton de Leeuw, while writing Cinq Hymnes, was possessed by the same spirit that influenced poet and musician Kabir in the 15th century. A prophet who believed in a reality other than the religiously and ethnically segregated society in which he lived. Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms was born, somewhat more pragmatically, from a request from his publisher to write something popular. Despite these different origins, both pieces call for reflection and contemplation on the meaning of holiness in the modern world.