Vox Clamantis, Estonian Male Choir RAM - Henrik Ødegaard: Te Lucis Ante Terminum (2016)

Voices from the depths On Henrik Ødegaard´s album Te lucis ante terminum, voices from the Gregorian tradition meet a new, modern musical language in an organic, but nonetheless refreshing and unpredictable way. Ødegaard has engrossed himself in Gregorian chant and written several works that have taken their inspiration from the Gregorian tradition and from Catholic liturgy, and filter voices from the depths of our western vocal tradition through his own finely tuned means of expression. In his investigation of the relationship between the Gregorian tradition and a modern, free-tonal style, there are always contrasts. Overtones or modality are set as a contrast to an abstract, personal musical language and improvisation is contrasted to the annotated, and generates contrasting elements in the form of light and shade, foreground and background, open and closed. Ødegaard´s groundbreaking works Arise, my love!, Te lucis ante terminum and Cantus are performed by the renowned choirs The Estonian National Male Choir (RAM) and Vox Clamantis, conducted by Mikk Üleoja and Jaan-Eik Tulve respectively. Founded in 1944, RAM is now a world-renowned professional choir noted for its renditions of large-scale choral works. The choir has collaborated with Deutsche Grammophon, Sony, Finlandia, Alba Records, Virgin Classics and GB Records, performed more than 6 300 concerts all over the world and won several awards, most notably a Grammy Award for the recording of Sibelius´ Cantatas (Virgin Classics). Vox Clamantis, on the other hand, was formed in 1996 and has made themselves noted for their performances of Gregorian chants, early polyphony and contemporary music. The choir has laid extensive touring behind them, collaborated with a range of renowned musicians, released records for ECM and Miarer, and won several awards.