ECM 2026: IBO & Crash Ensemble Heiner Goebbels - Songs of Wars I Have Seen

ECM 2026: IBO & Crash Ensemble Heiner Goebbels - Songs of Wars I Have Seen

About the show

Irish Baroque Orchestra
Crash Ensemble
Geoffrey Paterson, conductor

A landmark contemporary work by German composer Heiner Goebbels, Songs of Wars I Have Seen has been acclaimed internationally for its originality and emotional impact with The Boston Globe describing it as “50 minutes of gently mesmerising music-theatre” and “a thought-provoking, hauntingly tender work for trouble times”.

The piece draws on the wartime diary entries of the influential and pioneering modernist Gertrude Stein, blending spoken text and live music by Crash Ensemble with Irish Baroque Orchestra to create an intimate, fragmented portrait of everyday life during wartime. Described as “beguiling” (The Guardian), this production offers a powerful and thought-provoking experience, inviting audiences to engage deeply with history, storytelling and the expressive possibilities of music. 

Presented by NCH

NCH presents this special series as part of the Cultural Programme for Ireland’s 2026 Presidency of the Council of the European Union. It is supported by the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport.

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