Oregon ArtsWatch Reviews Arctic Light Concert

Oregon ArtsWatch was tempted to “proclaim Cappella Romana as the best choral group in Portland” after our Arctic Light concert! Read a few quotes below and then check out the full review at orartswatch.org. If you weren’t able to attend, don’t forget you can pre-order the CD the recording today!

“The blockbuster of the evening was a set of two excerpts from the Vespers of Einojuhani Rautavaara’s Vigilia. One, a prayer, featured a slow hypnotic swaying between major and minor modes, pivoting unusually on the third of the chord in the outer voices. The prayer turned urgent as each sway became propelled by the entire group sliding up to their pitches from the depths. The second, “Evening Hymn,” returned to a calmer swaying, but now heartfelt melodies arched overhead. Throughout this challenging material the group maintained a laserlike focus and intensity. After the music finally subsided I couldn’t suppress a low “wow,” and spotted smiles on other faces, suggesting they’d been wowed too…

“Throughout the concert, I was struck by the wide variety of ways in which voices were grouped and distributed, and the fluid counterpoint, as if living in a land which is frozen so much of the year makes composers especially appreciative of all things liquid…

“After a concert as impressively programmed and performed as this, it’s tempting to proclaim Cappella Romana the best choral group in Portland.” —Jeff Winslow, Oregon ArtsWatch

Read the full review at orartswatch.org today!

Buy Arctic Light Today!