Holy Spirit Mass
Holy Spirit Mass poster
Phoenix Chorale performs The Holy Spirit Mass by Kim André Arnesen, plus works by Wilberg, Chilcott, Rutter, Fauré and Elgar, with music director James Parkinson, and organist Mark Smith. Kim André Arnesen was born in 1980 in Norway and is one of the world's most frequently performed contemporary, choral composers. His biography says: Although an avid follower of MTV and a huge fan of The Cure at ten years old, he also studied classical piano, was a chorister in the Nidaros Cathedral Boys’ Choir and was later educated at the Music Conservatory in Trondheim. His music has sold in 6-figure numbers and been performed in more than 30 countries. The Holy Spirit Mass was commissioned in commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017. The introduction explains that ‘the work also commemorates 50 years of productive Lutheran-Catholic dialogues’ - the Mass texts are interwoven with the 9th-century Veni Creator Spiritus and Martin Luther’s hymn Come Holy Ghost, God and Lord. Its themes include mercy, praise, peace and ‘the work looks forward in hope of a more united future by focusing on what we have in common’. This wonderful work has something for everyone – it is in turn exquisite, calm, glorious, and powerful. Like a film score, it leads you through the emotional ups and downs and twists of a story.
7.30pm at St Peter and The Holy Apostles, Wyndham Square, Plymouth, PL1 5EG. Tickets: Adults £14 on the door (£12 in advance at www.ticketsource.co.uk); Children: free entry. For more details visit plymouthphoenixchorale.org