On Friday, June 20, 2025 at 8:00 PM, the choral concert by the group VOCES8 will take place in the Sveta Gora church as part of the project Beyond Walk of Peace: from Crossborder Historical Research and Cultural Heritage to European Trail and Stories.

The British vocal group, after numerous performances in some of the world’s most prestigious venues—including the Royal Albert Hall, Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, Berlin Philharmonie, Cité de la Musique in Paris, Vienna Konzerthaus, Tokyo Opera City, Sydney Opera House, and many others—will give a concert in the ancient Basilica on Mount Sveta Gora (Monte Santo).

Celebrating its 20th anniversary this season, the group will bring to Monte Santo its rich repertoire ranging from the Renaissance to contemporary works, spanning classical and non-classical composers from around the world, blended with jazz and pop influences, performed with a vocal virtuosity that never fails to enchant audiences at every performance.

The versatility and interest in diverse musical expressions are hallmarks of this extraordinary octet, founded in 2003 by a group of former Westminster Abbey choristers specializing in a cappella singing. The ensemble also collaborates with internationally renowned orchestras and soloists.

This event is part of a global tour of over 100 performances, including a special concert at the Barbican in London.

The concert marks the first of three major cross-border cultural events under the BeWoP project. It will be followed by a historically themed event in late September 2025 and a second musical event in 2026. BeWoP is funded by the European Regional Development Fund as part of the Interreg VI-A ITA-SLO 2021–2027 Program. Project partners include lead partner Fundacija Poti miru v Posočju, EGTC GO, ZRC SAZU, PromoTurismoFVG, the Municipality of Miren-Kostanjevica, and the èStoria Association.

“èStoria already organized a commemorative peace concert in 2014 at the Basilica on Sveta Gora, performed by violinist Uto Ughi and attended by over 1,000 people. It was an incredibly moving and highly successful event,” recalls Adriano Ossola, president of the association. “We are delighted to present another concert of this caliber in such a historic location, especially in this important year for Nova Gorica and Gorizia.”

Admission is free and open to the public while seats last.

For those interested, shuttle transfers from Gorizia and Nova Gorica will be available. More details about schedules and booking can be found at:
https://www.estoria.it/event/concerto-dei-voces8-koncert-skupine-voces8/

On the same day, Fundacija Poti miru v Posočju will also organize a guided tour of the World War I Gallery beneath Sveta Gora (Monte Santo). More details about times and booking can be found at the same link.

Photo credit: Andy Staples