“James MacMillan, Scotland’s most famous living composer … has written an entire piece inspired by the Holy Spirit,” writes Ivan Hewett in Tuesday’s (8/13) Daily Telegraph (U.K.). “It’s his fifth symphony, entitled Le Grand Inconnu (The Great Unknown), which will be performed [August 17] as part of the Edinburgh International Festival’s generous celebrations to mark the composer’s 60th birthday…. ‘I’m surprised that composers and artists generally and especially in our own time haven’t explored this area, where ideas of creativity and spirituality overlap,’ [says MacMillan]. MacMillan feels it’s the right moment to tackle it, given that we are now living in a post-secular age with a renewed hunger for the spiritual aspect of life…. [MacMillan] has become famous … for putting his Catholic faith at the center of his musical creativity…. Like MacMillan’s recent Stabat Mater—performed last year in the Sistine Chapel and live-streamed to an audience of millions … once again the performers will be that wonderful chamber choir The Sixteen, joined for this piece by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Genesis Sixteen, the young choir that was created and funded by the [Genesis Foundation] to act as a training school for aspiring young choral singers.
Posted August 15, 2019
