GALWAY CITY will celebrate the 75th birthday of the renowned Estonian classical composer Arvo Pärt with a major concert next week.
Arvo Pärt – 75th Birthday Retrospective takes place next Wednesday at 8pm in St Nicholas’ Collegiate Church and will feature The State Choir Latvija, conducted by Fergus Sheil, performing Pärt’s finest choral music.
Pärt is widely recognised as one of the most prominent living composers of sacred music. He has developed a special relationship with Irish audiences through his appearances in Ireland and his composition ‘The Deer’s Cry’, a setting of ‘St Patrick’s Breastplate’ to music, which Pärt described as his “gift to Irish audiences”.
For this show the Latvian choir will perform ‘The Deer’s Cry’ and other Pärt masterpieces such as ‘Summa’ (1977 ), ‘Sieben Magnificat-Antiphonen’ (1991 ), and ‘Magnificat’ (1989 ). There will also be three spiritual works by Irish composers - Deirdre McKay’s ‘Plunkett’s Last Words’; Rhona Clarke’s ‘Two Marian Anthems’, and Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin’s ‘Maranatha’.
Tickets are €20/16 and are available from Music For Galway (091 - 705 962 ); Town Hall Theatre (091 - 569777, www.tht.ie ), or from Opus II, The Cornstore, Middle Street.
