Drone Mass

Tue, 17 October 19.00 Estonia Concert Hall

Tallinn A Cappella presents: Drone Mass 

Theatre of Voices:  

Paul Hillier (artistic director and conductor)

Else Torp, Kate Browton, Signe Asmussen, Iris Oja  

Paul Bentley-Angell, Jakob Skjoldborg, Jakob Bloch Jespersen, William Gaunt

American Contemporary Music Ensemble:  

Ben Russell (violin), Laura Lutzke (violin) 

Isabel Hagen (viola), Clarice Jensen (artistic director, cello)  

Adam Wiltzie (live electronics)
Ian Dearden (sound design)

Programme:

Jóhann Jóhannsson. „Drone Mass“  

The “Drone Mass” was described by its composer, the late Jóhann Jóhannsson, as “a contemporary oratorio”. Written for voices, string quartet and electronics, it was commissioned and premiered by the American Contemporary Music Ensemble, aka ACME, who toured and recorded with Jóhannsson for almost ten years.

“Drone Mass” is an extraordinary, mysterious accomplishment which at times bears comparison with the meditative minimalism of composers such as Arvo Pärt or Henryk Górecki. Beginning with strings and voices, but slowly integrating Jóhannsson’s electronic techniques into its landscape, the work represents what the Icelandic composer called “a distillation of a lot of influences and obsessions”.

In 2019, ACME and the Grammy-winning vocal ensemble Theatre of Voices and Paul Hillier recorded "Drone Mass" for Deutsche Grammophon. The album was released on March 18, 2022.