A new choral work by Karin Rehnqvist for mixed choir, baroque orchestra and ad libitum audience will be heard on April 26 in Helsinki. The piece is called Take the Milky Way. Four movements, with lyrics by Kerstin Perski.
The world premiere will be performed by the Helsinki Chamber Choir (Helsingin kamarikuoro) with its conductor and artistic director, Professor Nils Schweckendiek, and the Finnish Baroque Orchestra.
The Helsinki Chamber Choir, with its roots in the Finnish Radio Choir, is Finland’s only chamber choir consisting of professional singers. They are now celebrating their 20th anniversary, and for their anniversary concert at the Musiikkitalo (Helsinki Music Centre), they have commissioned four works, of which Rehnqvist’s Take the Milky Way is one.
The 12-minute piece is divided into the movements: Invisible threads – Rush / Black hole interlude – And the journey continues – Reach out your hand.
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The anniversary concert, which has the theme Toivo (Hope), will be framed by music by J S Bach and G F Handel. In between, new music by all female composers: from Estonia, Finland, Latvia, the UK and Sweden.
Johann Sebastian Bach: Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf, BWV 226
Helena Tulve: And Death Shall Have No Dominion (world premiere)
Matilda Seppälä: Casual Usual (world premiere)
Santa Ratniece: Lustral (world premiere)
Anna Clyne: In thy Beauty
Karin Rehnqvist: Take the Milky Way (world premiere)
Georg Friedrich Handel: Foundling Hospital Anthem (original version)
Helsinki Chamber Choir (HKK) collaborates with domestic and foreign festivals and ensembles. The choir’s concerts are regularly broadcast on the radio and TV, and have also appeared in ARTE and EBU productions. In recent years, the choir has toured the USA, the UK, Italy, Belgium, Russia and Scandinavia. HKK is a member of Tenso, the European network for professional chamber choirs.
