ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
PHILIPPE HERREWEGHE
James WOOD (°1953)
Apokalypsis (world premiere)
BL!NDMAN [Sax]
Darius Battiwalla organ
Collegium Vocale Gent
James Wood conductor
British composer and conductor James Wood’s new full-length work centres on the theme of the end of time. Ironically, it was a pandemic that stood in the way of its first performance. Three years later, Wood’s magnum opus, commissioned by Collegium Vocale Gent, can finally be held above the baptismal font. Apokalypsis takes its lyrics from the book of the Bible in which St John describes in a vision how seven angels predict seven catastrophes with their trumpets. Against this, Wood juxtaposes a variety of contemporary poems, blogs, reports and political speeches from Napoleon to Donald Trump. In light of geopolitical developments in recent years, Apocalypse remains a very timely piece.
The seven trumpets are performed by BL!NDMAN’s saxophones. In a layered interplay with the singers of the choir and with the organ, they fill the space of the Muziekgebouw with a constantly changing acoustic experience.
This project is a co-production of Collegium Vocale Gent, Bl!ndman and Flanders Festival Ghent.