Nobel theme – Eric Ericson Chamber Choir and Tranströmer

The Nobel Prize laureate Tomas Tranströmer (1931–2015) is a point of departure for the programme, particularly the poem The Clearing: “There is, in the middle of the forest, an unexpected clearing that can only be found by someone who has lost their way.” Here, stillness meets a sense of wonder at the earthly and the inexpressible.

We hear Ildebrando Pizzetti’s rarely performed Messa di Requiem from 1922. Pizzetti, regarded as one of Italy’s leading composers in the interwar period, here combines powerful musical drama with inspiration from Gregorian chant and the evocative vocal writing of the Renaissance.

Movements from Pizzetti’s requiem are interwoven with music by the Renaissance composers Thomas Campion and Alonso Lobo, as well as movements from Sven-David Sandström’s grand Nordic Mass for choir and cello – with text by Tomas Tranströmer. The programme concludes with John Tavener’s meditative Svyati, in which the choir is once again set against a solo cello. The soloist is one of Sweden’s most internationally acclaimed cellists, Jakob Koranyi.

Justin Doyle is Chief Conductor of the Eric Ericson Chamber Choir as of this season. Since 2017, Doyle has also served as Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the RIAS Kammerchor Berlin, and has enjoyed a long and internationally successful career as a choral and opera conductor.

The Eric Ericson Chamber Choir was founded in 1945 by the then 27-year-old Eric Ericson and has since occupied a central place in Swedish and international musical life. The choir is regarded as one of the world’s leading vocal ensembles and has long enjoyed a close relationship with Konserthuset Stockholm. Since 2003, it has collaborated regularly with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and frequently appears in concerts at the hall.