All churches in Sibiu will be open.
The Ars Sacra festival organized by the HÍD – Association of Szeben Magyars awaits the public with open church doors, a rich selection of church music and a focus on church art between September 14 and 22. In describing the visit, the main organizer Levente Serfőző said that it was a great collaboration, and since the event is specifically about sacred culture, he was very happy that everyone joined with open arms and open hearts.
Its nine synagogues and all historical denominations operating in the city will join the Ars Sacra church music festival, which will be held for the second time in Great Sibiu, starting on September 14. Chief organizer Levente Serfőző said about the event series offering a rich program organized by the HÍD – Association of Szeben Hungarians.
they join the Ars Sacra festival launched from Hungary in Sibiu with great joy, the aim of the exhibition is to build bridges between different historical denominations and their communities through sacred culture.
This year they are also trying to offer a rich offer to those interested. "Guests also came from Budapest, the president of the Ars Sacra Foundation, who started the festival in 2007, Eszter Bauer, who for now is only an elected representative of the 1st district, will take office from October in the colors of Fidesz. He visited us, our plan is to connect the 1st district of Budapest and Nagyszeben from a cultural point of view. In addition, there is another link: sculptor Miklós Borsos (1906 - 1990 - ed. death) was born in Nagyszeben, he has a memorial house in the first district of Budapest, because he lived there for the last time," pointed out the main organizer.
He also spoke about how important it is that the church music festival is also due to the cooperation of different historical denominations, in this way the Roman Catholic, Greek Catholic, Orthodox, Reformed, German Lutheran and Jewish communities are also involved. Because during the visit, the St. John's Church, the Orthodox Cathedral, the Reformed Church, the Evangelical Cathedral, the downtown Roman Catholic Holy Trinity Church, the Oregotthon Church, the Orsolyák Church, the Franciscan Church and the Great Synagogue are also open to the participants of the festival.
"It's a great collaboration, and since the review is specifically about sacred culture, I'm very happy that everyone joined with open arms and open hearts. Our plan is to organize the inspection every year"
said Serfőző Levente. He added that Ars Sacra was such a success last year that the municipality of Sibiu took notice of it and is happy to support the festival held in the city for the first time last year, which has been organized in Budapest since 2007. "We hope that we will be able to expand the visit next year, to extend it to the city's surroundings as well, and Vízakna and other settlements will also join in," said the chief organizer. Levente Serfőző emphasized that the program includes not only concerts and performances, but also exhibitions: while last year, those interested could view four exhibitions, this year this number has increased to ten.
He emphasized that the day of open churches can be considered a big deal because anyone can enter houses of worship that are otherwise only open for one hour on Sundays, during the service, such as the Reformed church and the similar situation with the synagogue of the Jewish community.
"The public is very happy to be able to enter these sacred spaces, the reception of the initiative is very good, people are happy, they also visit the churches in good numbers. We provide a separate day for each denomination this year, precisely so that visitors can get to know the church art values of each church"
said the main organizer.
He also highlighted that sacred walks are organized, last year's were held in Romanian, this year it is possible to apply in four languages: in addition to Romanian, Hungarian, German, English, as well as in the context of this, you can get to know the art-historical and cultural values of the respective churches.
"All denominations will have a day as part of the festival, they are even preparing separate church presentations. For example, the Lutheran church will hold consecutive organ concerts from noon until 9-10 p.m. on September 21, with several guests, for example, organist Erich Türk is also invited to this series of programs. In the reformed church on Wednesday, the 18th, the choir from Vízákna will perform together with the choir from Sibiu, and the reverend will present the cultural values of the church"
- highlighted the main organizer.
He added that a very nice concert is also organized in the Catholic church, and the Ars Sacra promises to be a valuable festival this year as well - so the Sibiu community now has three prestigious festivals with church music: the Ars Hungarica, which specifically focuses on Hungarian culture, and the Hungarikum, which focuses on entertainment and gastronomy. Days.
Serfőző Levente also drew attention to the fact that the opening of the festival on September 14 is the exhibition about King Szent László. A conference will also be organized, with the participation of historians: two experts from Triszék will be there, art historian Mihály Jánó and heraldist Attila Szekeres. Art historian Mihály Jánó will give a lecture entitled: Data for the Iconography of the Coronation of St. László in Hungarian, with Romanian dubbing. Dr. Frank-Thomas Ziegler, art historian, head of public relations of the Romanian Evangelical CA Church - Parish of Brasov, gives a lecture entitled: Szent László in Szeben (presentation in Romanian).
Attila István Szekeres, heraldist and president of the Transylvanian Heraldic and Vexillological Association, will give a lecture in Romanian entitled Heraldic and Numismatic Representation of Saint László.
Featured image: Ars Sacra in Sibiu/Facebook
