CONCERT OF SACRED MUSIC

The Concert of Sacred Music will feature performances by the State Choir Latvija, the festival choir, chamber orchestra, and soprano Ilze Paegle, all led by conductors Maris Sirmais and Brigita Alks.

Featured repertoire will include Imant Raminsh’ stunning Ave Verum Corpus and Ubi Caritas, and the North American premiere of the Missa Brevis Latviensis by Toronto composer George Juris Kenins. This work, commissioned by the State Choir Latvija in 2017, was first performed by them in Riga, Latvia on August 22, 2017 to great critical acclaim. Dedicated to, and inspired by, the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation, it is a significant addition to the catalogue of Canadian sacred choral music. Both of these works will be performed by the State Choir Latvija

Other Latvian-Canadian composers on the program include Talivaldis Kenins, Arvids Purvs and Erika Yost, as well as works by Brigita Ritmanis, Adolfs Abele, Viktors Baštiks, Andrejs Jurjans, Alfreds Kalnins and Ēriks Ešenvalds.