The first listening session of July is dedicated to the works of Latvian composer Eriks Ešenvalds, which has already been heard on every continent. Ešenvalds specialises in choral music, which is often quite complex. The composer divides the choir into eight and sometimes 16 parts and uses extended tonality to create rich sonic textures that overwhelm the senses - a style that has already been described as “the epitome of 21st century choral sound”!
During the session, we will hear two of Ešenvalds' recordings - Translations, which reveals the inner transformations that take place within us when confronted with the power of nature, and Mass of Eternal Flame, which has been described as “a celebration of the divine essence of life and the source of creativity that lies within each human being”. These two recordings sensitively reveal two closely related spaces - the outer world that challenges us and the inner world from which our ability to create, feel and survive emerges.
