Byrd Ensemble presents Out of the Darkness: Arvo Pärt & John Tavener
$35-$50 ($30 ages 65 & over, $25 student)
- Markdavin Obenza, conductor
Arvo Pärt — Nunc dimittis
Gabriel Jackson — Ave Maria
Thomas Tallis — Lamentations of Jeremiah II
Robert Carver — O bone Jesu à 19
Arvo Pärt — The Deer's Cry
John Tavener — As one who has slept
Jeff Junkinsmith — Tenebrae factae sunt (world premiere)
John Tavener — Song for Athene
This program explores the spiritual journey from penitence to joy, often symbolized by the transition from Lent to Easter. The music of John Tavener and Arvo Pärt serves as the musical framework, guiding us from darkness to light. The first half evokes the somber mood of Lent, culminating in an English setting of the Lamentations by Thomas Tallis. In the second half, we are uplifted by Tavener's Easter anthem As one who has slept and ultimately ascend to the heavens with Tavener's Song for Athene.
The program also features the world-premiere performance of Tenebrae factae sunt by Jeff Junkinsmith, commissioned by the Byrd Ensemble.
About Byrd Ensemble
Directed by Markdavin Obenza, the Byrd Ensemble is a professional ensemble that specializes in the performance of Renaissance polyphony. Since founded in 2004, the Seattle-based ensemble has garnered international acclaim for its performances and recordings of vocal chamber music from publications, described by John Rutter as "a fine group that has achieved an enviable standard of tuning, blend, and ensemble," "pure and radiant” (Gramophone), and "rich, full-voiced, and perfectly blended" (Early Music America). The Byrd Ensemble presents a concert series in Seattle and tours internationally.
https://www.byrdensemble.com/