Welcome to the 21st century: The Vatican agrees to live streaming

Welcome to the 21st century: The Vatican agrees to live streaming

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norman lebrecht

March 20, 2018

press release:

On 22 April audiences around the world will be able to watch the performance of James MacMillan’s Stabat mater from the Sistine Chapel as it becomes the first ever concert live-streamed from the Vatican….

The much-lauded choral setting by Sir James MacMillan of the Stabat mater, was commissioned by the Genesis Foundation for Harry Christophers and The Sixteen. This world renowned choir will be joined by Britten Sinfonia, as they were at the work’s world premiere in October 2016 at London’s Barbican Centre, in a continuation of the ensemble’s close relationship with the Genesis Foundation and MacMillan. Greeted with a standing ovation at the Barbican, the 55-minute work has since been hailed repeatedly as a masterpiece. A recording, released on The Sixteen’s own label, CORO, was shortlisted for a 2017 Gramophone Award.

 

Comments

  • Alexander says:

    and who is the Patron Saint for the Internet then ? just curious … 😉

  • James MacMillan says:

    Isidore of Seville.

  • Xystus says:

    The Berserking…

  • Bruce says:

    The Church, having lived with this contradiction since its inception, is so entirely comfortable with the irony of the situation that probably no one even notices it.

  • James MacMillan says:

    In the lead up to the premiere in 2014 the Genesis Foundation and The Sixteen also commissioned three other new works from younger composers and recorded them;

    https://thesixteenshop.com/products/cor16127

    I was able to present the Scottish premieres of these works at my little festival, The Cumnock Tryst in 2014. We present our fifth festival this October. Come and join us if you’re in the Ayrshire area then!
    http://www.thecumnocktryst.com

    • Ellis Cage says:

      Sir MacMillan, your Stabat Mater was my one of my favourite albums of the year 2017, alongside Tigran Mansurian’s Requiem & Tonu Korvits’ Moorland Elegies, a composer who was part of The Sixteen project you mentioned & premiered. Thank you for creating and enabling such wonderful new music.

      • James MacMillan says:

        Thank you. I’ll check out Tigran Mansurian now. Tonu Korvits – I know, and have conducted some of his music in Poland. Evocative, deep and colourful music. His settings of sacred texts are especially beautiful.

        The Sixteen and I are now curating another project with three new young composers. Premieres in May (England) and October (Scotland).

  • Sixtus says:

    Acoustically the Sistine Chapel has always been a beautiful setting for choral music, Visually you can’t beat the decorations by the greatest gay artist in history — an ironically appropriate wrapping.

  • Jackie Cleaver says:

    What time will it be shown on Friday

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