The exquisite music of Arvo Pärt and John Tavener has defined the sound of ‘holy minimalism’ in recent years, and this concert presents three of their finest, most seminal works – all from within a few years of each other in the 1980s.
Tavener’s Ikon of Light – which was premiered at the 1984 Cheltenham Music Festival in Tewkesbury Abbey – is a mystical statement of ritual and wonder for choir and string trio. The Hilliard Ensemble premiered Pärt’s equally luminous and reflective settings of the Stabat Mater and Psalm 51 in 1985 and 1989. With an added choral Dies Irae, Miserere’s remarkable lineup also features five solo voices and an 11-piece ensemble that includes electric and bass guitar, percussion, winds and brass.
