Swiss composer and choir leader Michael Zaugg told a talk show host on Canada’s Global News channel that he likes to cook. He enjoys using ingredients with special characteristics and forming these into a harmonious, coherent whole. Cooking is, essentially, not too dissimilar to his orchestral and choral work, he said. Zaugg studied choral conducting in Basel before embarking on a postgraduate programme in Stockholm. He emigrated to Canada over 20 years ago, where he now lives with his family. The conductor is the Managing and Artistic Director of Pro Coro Canada in Edmonton, one of Canada’s leading professional chamber choirs. In this role, he has forged a musical blend that has earned him and his choir great acclaim. Pro Coro Canada have now performed on an acoustic album that even people who know nothing about classical choir music can relate to: the Ukrainian War Requiem by Benedict Sheehan, who is a globally important American composer of 21st-century classical religious music. A few months ago, the recording won the 2026 Juno Award for Best Classical Album in the “Large Ensemble” category. The Juno Awards are Canada’s premier music industry awards, often described as the equivalent of the Grammy Awards in the US. Zaugg and his choir collaborated on the album with the Axios Men’s Ensemble, a Canadian choir dedicated to performing Eastern sacred music in both liturgical and concert settings for modern audiences. Axios also includes Ukrainian singers. A requiem is a musical work composed to commemorate the dead. Yet Sheehan’s work is more than just that. The Ukrainian War Requiem not only honours the countless victims of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine but also pays tribute to the resistance of the Ukrainian people. Zaugg wanted the recording to encapsulate the Ukrainian spirit. He says his task was to bring together different nationalities – Ukrainians, Canadians, Americans – and mould an ensemble in which everyone felt welcome and at ease. Doing so was a source of great joy. It is a sentiment that resonates throughout this magnificent album – even if you listen to it from the comfort of your armchair. The brutality of death in war is a reality. As is the undying will to live. JÜRG STEINER Human rights are being eroded around the world – and not only in authoritarian states. Nor are they set in stone in democracies like Switzerland. They cannot be upheld in the absence of effective safeguards. Twenty authors from academia or a professional practice background have contributed to a new book that hits where it hurts, addressing themes such as inadequate protection against discrimination, the controversial use of detention in asylum proceedings, and the fundamental rights of vulnerable groups. Pertinently, the book contains a chapter on AI, algorithms and the digital transformation. When it comes to protecting democracy and fundamental rights, “we should not rely on the good will of big tech,” writes Angela Müller, who is Executive Director of the non-governmental organisation AlgorithmWatch CH. Statutory guard rails are needed to ensure responsible use of AI. Lawyer and ETH researcher Jakob Merane believes that technology also offers opportunities in areas such as consumer rights, where AI-powered programs make it easier to identify online data privacy violations. The book also deals with the institutional implementation of human rights. Unlike most countries, Switzerland has no constitutional court to monitor human rights compliance. This is why the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in Strasbourg take on special importance, says professor of international law Helen Keller, citing press freedom as an example. Keller was an ECtHR judge from 2011 to 2020. The ECtHR has criticised Switzerland more than once in recent years for prosecuting journalists who, for instance, refused to divulge their sources or used hidden cameras to expose dubious sales practices. The authors express concern that the ECtHR, which safeguards human rights standards in Europe, is coming under increased pressure. One example is the controversy surrounding implementation of the ECtHR ruling in favour of a group of older Swiss women who took Switzerland to court (see “Swiss Review” 6/2023 and 4/2024). This clearly presented, easy-to-understand book is not only a wake-up call but a source of ideas. It envisions Switzerland as a country that takes the lead on human rights and bolsters the standing of international institutions. THEODORA PETER The Ukrainian War Requiem – led by a Swiss composer Authors deliver wake-up call on human rights BENEDICT SHEEHAN “Ukrainian War Requiem”, Cappella Records, 2025 Listen to the Ukrainian War Requiem: www.revue.link/uwr TAREK NAGUIB ET AL. “Menschenrechte. Die Schweiz in der Verantwortung” Verlag Schulthess, Zurich, 2026. 145 pages, CHF 38 Ukrainian War Requiem. Composer: Benedict Sheehan. Conductor: Michael Zaugg. Pro Coro Canada, Axios Men’s Ensemble. Soloists: John Tessier, Yuliia Zasimova. Available on all streaming platforms. Swiss Review / October 2026 / No. 4 26 Books Sounds
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