Joby Talbot’s Path of Miracles was the first major work commissioned by the professional vocal ensemble Tenebrae, a group that was founded by former King’s Singers member Nigel Short in 2000 and includes members drawn from the choirs of Westminster Abbey, King’s College Cambridge, and Britain’s two major opera houses.

The work was supposed to premiere in London on July 7, 2005, but was delayed because of the London bombings that day, which killed over 50 people and injured more than 700. Ten days later, Path of Miracles received its premiere as part of the City of London Festival. Talbot’s composition is based on the most enduring route of Catholic pilgrimage, the great Pilgramage to Santiago, and the four movement titles are the four main posts along the route (Roncevalles, Burgos, León, and Santiago). Path of Miracles incorporates medieval texts and Roman Catholic liturgy and is sung in Greek, Latin, Spanish, Basque, French, English, and German. Candlelight and an imaginative use of the St. Francis of Assisi space guarantee a dramatic evening.

PROGRAM

Owain Park - Footsteps
Joby Talbot - Path of Miracles