From December 2 until December 12, a spatial textile installation will rise in the Atrium City Hall: Grondtoon (Keynote). Designed by artist Sara Vrugt on commission from Wishful Singing, and created together with more than one hundred volunteers. Grondtoon offers a temporary public space to listen, sing, slow down, and meet one another. On December 6 and 9 Wishfull Singing together with the Amsterdams Andalusisch Orkest will perform and give reflective conversations in the Atrium City Hall. After this exhibition in The Hague, Grondtoon will travel with Wishful Singing to various locations such as hospitals, libraries, and schools.

Grondtoon consists of 25 embroidered textile panels mounted on stands, each one hand-stitched by volunteers. The artwork invites visitors to walk in freely and be surrounded by the fabrics — or to join the gathering moments organized by Wishful Singing.

“Grondtoon offers the ideal ‘playground’ for Wishful Singing to create and to experience music together — right in the midst of society, alongside guest musicians and artists, and with visitors of all ages, both individually and collectively,” says Anne-Christine Wemekamp, artistic director of Wishful Singing. “The installation draws the local community in — young and old — through its visible presence in the public space.”

Ode to Nature
Grondtoon is an ode to nature — and a call to reconsider our relationship with it. Artist Sara Vrugt was inspired by the oak tree, which is increasingly under pressure in the Netherlands. If climate change continues, oaks and beeches may no longer be a natural part of our landscape by 2100. Yet every acorn holds the promise of new life: resilience, renewal, and growth.

Winter presentation Lied van de Sibylle
During the performances, fragments will be presented from Lied van de Sibylle, the new winter production by Wishful Singing and the Amsterdams Andalusisch Orkest. At the core of this program is El cant de la Sibil·la, an apocalyptic hymn from the early Middle Ages recognized as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. Although the text foretells the end of times, the music also carries a sense of hope.

The strength of the performance lies in the blending of Christian, Jewish, and Islamic musical traditions. Despite their differences, scales and instruments merge into something greater than the sum of their parts.

Sara Vrugt
Sara Vrugt (1981, Amsterdam) studied textile and fashion at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague. She designs with needle, thread, humor, and an idealistic perspective. Her interdisciplinary works astonish through scale and form, inspire thought through social engagement, and invite physical interaction — with textile as a consistent element.

Working from a sense of social responsibility, Sara explores how art can become part of everyday life without compromising autonomy or artistic quality. Sustainability, awareness, and togetherness are central to her practice — values that deserve greater attention in our fast-paced society. Her work can be seen as a form of craftivism: using art to encourage people to look more carefully and to take action.

Sara Vrugt exhibited in 2021 in the Atrium City Hall with her artwork 100.000 Trees and a Threaded Forest.

For more information about Sara Vrugt, go to vrugt.com.

Wishful Singing
Wishful Singing is an ensemble of five dedicated vocalists with a distinctive sound and open artistic vision. Based in Utrecht, they create concerts and projects that cross boundaries between genres and worlds. Their repertoire spans Gregorian chant, folk music, close harmony, and contemporary compositions written especially for their voices.

Alongside their artistic work, Wishful Singing is committed to music as a force for connection and wellbeing. Through interdisciplinary productions, educational initiatives, and projects such as Zing je sterk — an online singing program for recovery and health — they build a world in which music contributes to healing, connection, and awareness.

Their mission: to give voice to what it means to be human — to evoke wonder, offer solace, and contribute to a just world in which everyone can take their place.

Performances & Reflective Conversations
Public performances by Wishful Singing & Amsterdams Andalusisch Orkest, including reflective conversations will be organized on Saturday December 6 at 11AM and 1PM and on Tuesday December 9 at 5PM.

For more information and registration for reflective conversations, go to wishfulsinging.nl/program/grondtoon.

For more information about Lied van de Sibylle, go to wishfulsinging.nl/program/liedvandesibylle.