TEARS INTO LIGHT
A musical meditation on melancholy, care, and slow emergence of hope
With Eugénie De Mey (voice), Sofie Vanden Eynde (lute & artistic direction) and Vardan Hovanissian (duduk)
Be patient, for in the deepest night, dawn is closest. — Hafezl
Tears into Light is a multidisciplinary music performance that brings together Renaissance music, contemporary composition, poetry, visual art, and live electronics in a deeply human exploration of loss, vulnerability, and resilience.
The project grew out of an extensive co-creation process with the residents of Clos-Bizet and the guests of the palliative day centre TOPAZ in Brussels. Through conversations, shared silence, and attentive listening, their reflections on grief, regret, trust, companionship, and hope became the living foundation of the performance. Rather than serving as documentary material, these encounters shaped the artistic language itself.
At the heart of Tears into Light lies John Dowland's Lachrymae, or Seven Tears, one of the great musical meditations on melancholy. Dowland's music—where sorrow is neither denied nor overcome, but patiently contemplated—opens a space in which contemporary voices can resonate. New compositions by Vladimir Gorlinsky, texts by Fleur Pierets, Sufi poetry, and the timeless sound of the Armenian duduk are woven into a single, continuously unfolding musical journey.
Performed by singer Eugénie De Mey, duduk master Vardan Hovanissian, lutenist and artistic director Sofie Vanden Eynde, and live electronics artist Jo Thielemans, the performance creates an intimate sound world where East and West, ancient and contemporary, acoustic and electronic traditions meet.
Visual artist Ria Verhaeghe contributes a poetic visual layer through works that reframe anonymous archival photographs, revealing hidden narratives and quiet acts of remembrance. Her images echo the performance's central gesture: bringing overlooked stories into the light.
Tears into Light approaches melancholy not as despair, but as a space of attention—a slowing down that allows listening, connection, and transformation. At a time marked by conflict, exhaustion, and increasing polarisation, the performance offers an invitation to dwell together in uncertainty, discovering how care, imagination, and artistic encounter can illuminate even the darkest moments.
"O morning breeze, bring me news of the dawn." — Hafez
Texts: a.o. Fleur Pierets
Music: John Dowland & Vladimir Gorlinsky
Visuals: Ria Verhaeghe
Photography: Dymphna Vandenabeele
funded by the Flemish Government and the VGC