Miserere

St Olafs Chamber Ensemble from Sweden consists of 16 professional and semi-professional singers and conductor
Nicklas Strandberg. The choir was formed in response to an invitation from the Vatican to be part of their international celebration of master G. P da Palestrina.
The repertoire for their concerts in Estonia is based on a program that took them to the Vatican, St. Peter’s Basilica and Nidaros Cathedral, Trondheim, Norway. The program contains a musical range from Palestrina to newly written advanced choral repertoire. In the program they sing, among otherthings, two large works on the miserere text, ps 51, with music by Gregorio Allegri (1582-1652) and James MacMillan (1959-) mixed with music by Palestrina and Pärt, etc.

The idea of pilgrimage is important as much of the music they sing alludes to the timeless idea of us humans as pilgrims. The “Miserere mei” (Ps 51) prayer is one of the oldest known pilgrim prayers. Pärt’s “The Deer’s Cry” is based on a prayer from the 4th-5th centuries in which the traveller asks for protection during his journey. “Morning Star”, also a piece by Pärt, alludes to the star that has accompanied all travellers throughout the ages, but especially those seafarers who prayed the prayer “Ave Maris Stella” to the star before their journey to protect and preserve them. Mary also becomes the symbol of the path: “Mary is not only the bridge that unites us with God; she is more. She is the path that God took to reach us; she is also the path we must take to reach him.” (Pope Francis). In the music of Palestrina, we encounter Mary and the oldest Marian prayers that have travelled along the pilgrim routes.
The choir was formed in response to an invitation from the Vatican to be part of their international celebration of master G. P da Palestrina. As the only invited representative from Sweden, SOKE went to Rome and the Vatican in October 2024 to give concerts and participate in the mass in St. Pietro. All trips to Rome are a pilgrimage and the idea becomes even more powerful considering that the choir’s geographical port is located along the Nordic region’s own St. Olavs’ Way. Once in Rome, they also visited St. Olav’s own altar in the Basilica of San Carlo al Corso.
The choir has also visited several churches along the pilgrimage route in Sweden and Norway, and will now be visiting the very origin of St. Olav’s pilgrimage, Estonia.

Programme:

Gregorio Allegri
– Miserere Mei
Arvo Pärt
– Christ is the morningstar
Edward Elgar
– Lux Aeterna
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
– Sicut Cervus
Arvo Pärt
– The Deer’s Cry
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
–Ave Maria
Arvo Pärt
– Bogoróditse Djévo
John Tavener
– Mother of God
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
– Salve Regina
Urmas Sisask
– Benedicamus
James MacMillan
– Miserere Mei