Musical Vespers – Martin Schmid SJ: Music brings cultures together

On Saturday 24 October 2026 at 6.00 pm, as part of World Mission Month and the anniversary ‘100 Years of World Mission Sunday’, a musical vespers service featuring works by the Swiss Jesuit, missionary and composer Martin Schmid SJ (1694–1772) will take place.

In the 18th century, Father Schmid worked amongst the Chiquitos in what is now Bolivia. There, through his work, music became a unifying language of faith, community and intercultural encounter. His compositions bear witness to the fruitful interplay between the European Baroque tradition and local musical culture.

Missio Switzerland is reviving this special musical heritage in collaboration with the Ensemble Baroque du Léman. Under the direction of Thierry Dagon, the soloists Joëlle Delley Zhao, Benoît Volkart, Bo Zhao and Fabrice Hayoz will perform, accompanied by Philippe Despond on the organ. Simple Gregorian interludes invite those attending the service to join in the singing.

A Vespers service in which music and spirituality build bridges across three centuries – between cultures, people and lived faith.