Oxford will be ringing out this week with the beautiful works of famous composer Arvo Pärt – from The Sheldonian to Christ Church Cathedral, Trinity College to the Ultimate Picture Palace, St Edwards to University Church of St Mary‘s and more.
Music at Oxford’s 90 YEARS OF ARVO PÄRT commences tomorrow with a week of incredible concerts, talks, films, documentaries and events to suit everyone from Arvo Pärt aficianados to families, with a free concert included and three UK premieres to enjoy.
And with Arvo’s family members flying in from Estonia, and the full support of the Estonian Embassy, the hype around the festival is growing exponentially.
Rebecca Dawson, MAO’s artistic and executive director, is delighted with the excitement gathering around the musical series, with tickets selling fast.
Millions of people revere Arvo Pärt globally and we wanted to do him justice here in Oxford
“People all round the world are celebrating Arvo Pärt’s birthday because he is one of our most famous composers, so we knew we had to do something and take part,” she says. “Millions of people revere him globally and we wanted to do him justice here in Oxford because so many people love his music.”
The excitement kicks off at The Sheldonian tomorrow (Nov 11) as Merton College Choir and Britten Sinfonia play the haunting Fratres (Brothers) and his Berlin Mass. Complemented by John Tavener‘s spine-tingling Song for Athene and Haydn’s powerful ‘Mass for Troubled Times’ it will certainly be an opening concert to remember. It will also feature the UK Premiere of Pärt’s Vater Unser.
On Wednesday (Nov 12), watch 24 PRELUDES FOR A FUGUE at Trinity College – the acclaimed 2002 documentary about Arvo Pärt and his life and music. The film explores the inner life and musical thoughts of Pärt through 24 little chapters.
The film screening will be followed by Arvo Pärt: A Personal View which will see Pärt’s son Michael in conversation with David James from the Hilliard Ensemble. A very special event giving a unique insight into Pärt’s life and music, Michael is the Chair of the Arvo Pärt Centre – and a music producer and music editor in his own right.
Rebecca says: “It is such a privilege having Michael and his wife here in Oxford for the whole festival, all the way from Estonia. A Personal View will be a highly personal evening as Michael talks about this father and his music, interspersed with musical interludes from pianist Sten Heinoja, and really validates what we do.
“It will be like a personal introduction because Arvo Pärt has such a fascinating history; having escaped from the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic (ESSR) to Vienna and finally settling in Berlin before he could return to Estonia in 2010.”
The action then moves to The New Space at New College in SPIEGEL IM SPIEGEL AND TINTINNABULI on Thursday Nov 13 – a chance to delve into the sources and core ideas behind one of Pärt’s most iconic works with speakers and researchers from the Arvo Pärt Centre in Estonia, moderated by Dr. Luke Lewis from the Faculty of Music at Oxford University – an open meeting place for musicians, researchers and music lovers.
The CARICE SINGERS will be the stars of the show at St Mary’s UNIVERSITY CHURCH on Oxford High Street on Thursday Nov 13 where the music of Arvo Pärt and Thomas Tallis will be woven together in this concert in which melodies flow seamlessly across centuries, touching on the present day with the pristine and expressive music of Pärt’s fellow Estonian Evelin Seppar.
A double bill at Jacqueline Du Pré Music Building on Friday November 14 gives you the chance to hear some of Estonia’s most exciting young musicians, all with close links to Arvo Pärt in Sten Heinoja And M4Gnet String Quartet. The M4gnet Quartet is renowned for the passionate interplay between its members in their vibrant performances, and will be performing pieces by Arvo Pärt, Erkki-Sven Tüür and James MacMillan.
every note Arvo Pärt wrote was like a pearl on a necklace
Internationally acclaimed pianist Sten Heinoja, will also be performing music by Arvo Pärt, Tõnu Kõrvits and Lepo Sumera. He is celebrated for his evident and sincere enthusiasm for music, making his performances both thoughtful and full of excitement.
Written expressly for children to sing, Arvo Pärt’s Our Garden is being performed by 193 young people from local children’s choirs in The Olivier Hall at St Edward’s School on Saturday Nov 15, with singing mentors from the National Youth Choir joining in on the fun, as well as a small ensemble of professional musicians. It will also feature the UK premiere of a new arrangement of Our Garden for ensemble by Tauno Aints. The piece will be performed alongside selections from Pärt’s other work for a children’s choir Songs from Childhood. This concert will have a BSL interpreter and will be perfect for families.
Arvo Pärt’s ‘Our Garden’ is being performed by 193 young people from local children’s choirs
Returning to the UK after an absence of ten years, the Grammy award-winning Estonian choir Vox Clamantis will provide some spine-tingling music by Arvo Pärt at Christ Church Cathedral on Saturday Nov 15 – rubbing shoulders with Helena Tulve’s Gloria, and its exquisite harmonies and intricate textures. Completing the programme is the austere beauty of Tõnis Kaumann’s Ave Maria.
This concert will showcase another UK premiere of Prayer to the Holy Trinity, written in the 1970s but only discovered recently by researchers at the Arvo Pärt Centre, only world premiered this summer.
On a different tangent altogether, The Ultimate Picture Palace is showing Richard Curtis’ much-loved rom-com ABOUT TIME on Sunday November 16 to help demonstrate Arvo Pärt’s wide-reaching contribution to contemporary culture with Spiegel im Spiegel (Mirror in the Mirror) which was part of the soundtrack, with a fitting introduction beforehand.
And finally, to conclude 90 YEARS OF ARVO PÄRT, head to Somerville College Chapel‘s CHORAL CONTEMPLATION on Sunday November 16 and enjoy music that spans Pärt’s vast choral output – music that has an innate spirituality that can be enjoyed by those of all faiths, and none. This concert is unticketed and free to attend. Seats will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. Doors will open at 5pm. Tickets cannot be reserved in advance.
‘Even if you don’t think you’ve heard his music, you probably have done, so come along and join us’
Rebecca adds: “We really feel that there is something for everyone in 90 YEARS OF ARVO PÄRT. It has taken 18 months to plan but all that really matters is the music of Arvo Pärt and it’s ability to bring people together.
“Even if you don’t think you’ve heard his music, you probably have done, so come along and join us because every note Arvo Pärt wrote was like a pearl on a necklace. What people hear in his music is the simplicity and sincerity, and that’s what makes his work so popular.”
90 YEARS OF ARVO PÄRT runs from November 11-16. To book go to https://www.musicatoxford.com/whats-on/
