Championing new music is a crucial part of Tenebrae’s commitment to ensure a thriving choral tradition for future generations.
For our Anniversary season, we have commissioned four exciting new works, bringing together a diverse group of composers who each contribute their unique musical voice to the overarching artistic theme of journeys and travel.
Each commission varies in scale and approach, from shorter standalone works to a substantial extended piece by Owain Park. Together, they reflect Tenebrae’s dedication to contemporary choral music and building long term creative relationships with composers. All commissions will be featured on Tenebrae’s 25th anniversary album The Journey, and will be performed around the world throughout our anniversary season:
Jason Max Ferdinand – Journey
Having admired his work for many years, we’re delighted to be working with Jason Max Ferdinand for the first time. His commission is a setting ofhis own text, and has a comforting, hymn-like quality. Dedicated ‘to Nigel Short and Tenebrae, for the many years of inspiration’, we are thrilled to bring this into our core repertoire.
Joanna Marsh – Going to Heaven!
This moving dedication to Florence Elizabeth Jaguers-Eve is set to words by Emily Dickinson. Tenebrae first commissioned Joanna to write In Winter’s House) in 2019 and, since then, it has become a firm favourite with the choir. We’re so pleased to be working to Joanna again in our anniversary year.
Owain Park – Canticles for a Passion
This major multi-movement piece uses texts by Angela Leighton, and was composed with the individual voices of Tenebrae singers in mind. Owain is uniquely attuned to our vocal style and quality, having sung with the choir as one of our original Associate Artists, and composed Footsteps for the choir in 2016. Based on the Stations of the Cross, this contemporary Passion also links back to the time in the liturgical calendar, that the choir is named after.
Joby Talbot – The Song of Wandering Aengus
Co-commissioned with Wigmore Hall
This setting of a text by W. B. Yeats is dreamy and atmospheric, and quintessentially ‘Talbot’. Joby holds a special place in Tenebrae’s history; his choral odyssey Path of Miracles was the ensemble’s first major commission, way back in 2005. Path of Miracles has become one of the choir’s seminal works, loved by audiences around the world, and we are thrilled to commission Joby again to mark this important milestone in Tenebrae’s journey.