Hayden Cisholm & To Bee Ritual

"To Bee Ritual" transforms the interior of Cologne’s St. Alban Church into a ritual beehive—an immersive sound experience entirely dedicated to the mysterious life of bees.

The project began in 2015, when Hayden Cisholm was invited to the French Abbey of Noirlac to collaborate with beekeepers on developing music based on scientific audio recordings of bees in their natural environment. Since then, the saxophonist and composer has been exploring the acoustic world of bees: swarm movements, dances, forms of communication, and social rituals serve as the source material for music that oscillates between documentation, interpretation, and transformation.

For *ritual*, this gives rise to a site-specific experience featuring multichannel sound by Robert Nacken and visual works by the Greek artist Natalia Manta. Projections onto the stone church walls expand the space into an audiovisual organism in which the boundaries between nature observation, ritual, and sound art dissolve.

September 1, 2026, 7:00 p.m., Neu St. Alban, Cologne
A group listening walk will take place before the concert.
Meeting point: 7:00 p.m. in front of the entrance to Neu St. Alban (Gilbachstraße 25, 50672 Cologne)

Cast
Hayden Chisholm: saxophone, voice
Natalia Manta: Visuals
Robert Nacken: Sound Design
ritual Choir

Accessibility:
Pick-up service & on-site assistance, free admission for a companion, the performance is fully accessible through audio, and the venue is accessible.
If you have any questions or need assistance, please feel free to contact us: produktion@ritual-music.de