North Brabant has a rich choir life. One of the absolute gems is Ad Parnassum led by conductor Anthony Zielhorst. A group of experienced ensemble singers who sing spiritual and profane music at a high level. Unknown contemporary music is regularly performed. The choir also surprises its audience with impressive music from forgotten music archives. 

Now the choir is presenting a special program around the premiere of Jan-Peter de Graaff’s Effugium (2024). Ad Parnassum works closely with soprano and artist-in-residence of the festival, Elisabeth Hetherington, winner of the Dutch Music Prize 2024. In addition, mezzo-soprano Lotte Betts-Dean, percussionist Konstantyn Napolov and wind ensemble The Brabant Orchestra provide their cooperation.

The program consists of compositions for mixed choir, wind ensemble and percussion. Jan-Peter de Graaff writes a new monumental choral work at the request of Ad Parnassum. In his twenty-minute choral work, De Graaff refers to, among other things, Renaissance music and Baroque, but he also draws inspiration from the modernism of George Crumb and György Ligeti, ‘All this combined with my own musical style, which is more about sculpting seductive sounds than about the hyper-conceptual’, De Graaff already lifts a glimpse of the shutter.

The impressive Mass (1944-1948) by Igor Stravinsky for mixed choir and double wind quintet runs like a common thread through the concert program. The program fully follows the structure of the liturgy for the dead. There are also parts from the Psalm Requiem (2005) by Daan Manneke and other suitable work by Stravinsky and De Graaff (his Monument from 2011). 

Composer Jan-Peter de Graaff, despite his young age (32 years old), already has an extensive oeuvre. Many of De Graaff’s compositions are characterized by a high degree of transparency and use of color in harmony, structure and orchestration, with an important focus on form and melodic development. A complete requiem mass was impossible for him and so Jan-Peter de Graaff decided to limit himself to the most exciting part, the Dies Irae, the Day of Judgment. According to the composer, this theme is more relevant than ever, because humanity is confronted more than ever with judgments from others due to the internet and social media and is constantly tempted to participate, sometimes unintentionally and against the will. The title of the work, Effugium (Exit), is an open door, a way out, an escape.

Program

Daan Manneke – De profundis (uit Psalmenrequiem 2005)
Igor Stravinsky – Kyrie en Gloria (uit Mass, 1944/48)
Daan Manneke – De ventre matris meae (uit Psalmenrequiem 2005)
Igor Stravinsky – The dove descending (1962)
Jan-Peter de Graaff – EFFUGIUM / DIES IRAE (2024)
Igor Stravinsky – Credo (uit Mass, 1944/48)
Jan-Peter de Graaff – Monument voor 2 sopranen, hoorn en slagwerk
Igor Stravinsky – Sanctus (uit Mass, 1944/48)
Igor Stravinsky – Pater Noster 
Igor Stravinsky – Agnus Dei (uit Mass, 1944/48)
Daan Manneke – Laetatus sum (uit Psalmenrequiem 2005)
Igor Stravinsky – Otche Nas

Kamerkoor Ad Parnassum o.l.v. Anthony Zielhorst
Ad Parnassum o.l.v. Anthony Zielhorst
The Brabant Chamber Orchestra – blazersensemble
Elisabeth Hetherington – sopraan
Lotte Betts-Dean – mezzosopraan
Konstantyn Napolov – slagwerk