Contemporary music programme Words of Fire

On November 6 at 7:00 PM in the Great Hall of the SPORTA 2 Quarter, the vocal group “Anima Solla” will premiere their new program. the program “Words of Fire,” featuring new works by eight Latvian composers. Programmas atskaņojums norisināsies Rīgas A Cappella festivāla jaunās sērijas “New Choral Sounds” (Jaunās kora skaņas) ietvaros. 

“Words of Fire” is a newly created program of contemporary Latvian composers’ works on the theme of fire. In these compositions, using Latvian folk song lyrics and poetry by Latvian authors, fire reveals itself as a guardian, a burner of all that is evil and unnecessary, a purifier, and a giver of life. Drawing inspiration from folk songs are Rihards Dubra, Andris Dzenītis, Andris Kontauts, and Selga Mence, while Ģirts Bišs, Sniedze Prauliņa, Andris Sējāns, and Renāte Stivriņa contribute original poetry. At the heart of the program lies the theme of the sun and fire, also reflecting on current events in the world. The scores combine relatively traditional notation with graphic notation, sonoristics, aleatorics, sounding gestures, and unconventional techniques of sound creation. At times, the performance of these works becomes a true test of mastery for the singers, demanding high technical and vocal preparation as well as intonational precision. The composers represented in the program have expressed their satisfaction with the successful collaboration with the vocal group “Anima Solla.”.

The premiere of the program “Words of Fire” brings together six professional singers from different periods of the vocal group “Anima Solla.” The initiator of the program is Mārīte Puriņa, the artistic director of “Anima Solla.” In collaboration with the publishing house “Musica Baltica,” the new concert program “Words of Fire” was recorded as a music album in 2024, to be accompanied by a score collection of the new works.

“Collaboration with each composer has been an important step in the creative development of Anima Solla,” says artistic director Mārīte Puriņa. “Anima Solla has begun its journey as a professional vocal ensemble, and ‘Words of Fire’ is the first project bringing together six singers from different periods of the group’s history.”

Since its founding in 1998, the vocal group “Anima Solla” has inspired the creation of many new works, while developing and popularizing contemporary Latvian vocal music. The ensemble is a laureate of numerous international competitions, a World Choir Games champion, and a three-time winner of the Grand Prize in the Vocal Ensemble Competition of the Latvian Song and Dance Festival.

The premiere of the concert program and new album “Words of Fire” is one of the highlights of the Riga A Cappella Festival. From November 6 to 9, the festival will take place under a new theme — “New Choral Sounds.” The main events and concerts will be held in the Great Hall of the SPORTA 2 Quarter, featuring premieres of new works and programs, with a special focus on unique music projects and innovative performances. On November 7 at 7:00 PM in the Great Hall of the SPORTA 2 Quarter, the Latvian Radio Choir, dancer Lilija Lipora, and conductor Sigvards Kļava will invite the audience on a journey into a painterly world of sound and movement, shaped by the most unique and perfect instruments — the human voice and the human body. On November 9 at 5:00 PM in the Great Hall of the SPORTA 2 Quarter, the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga Choir will celebrate its 30th anniversary with a special concert, performing together with composer Uģis Prauliņš and the post-folklore group “Kaligo.” Tickets for festival events are available at www.bezrindas.lv.

The Riga A Cappella Festival has been held since 2013, showcasing the tradition of a cappella singing as a modern and contemporary art form. Over the years, the festival has featured many renowned artists — including The Real Group, The Swingles, VOCES8, Postyr, Solala, Gentlemen Singers, Didgori, and many others.

Rīgas A Cappella festivāla norisi atbalsta Rīgas dome, Valsts kultūrkapitāla fonds, SPORTA 2 kvartāls, VSIA “Latvijas koncerti”, RKTMC “Mazā ģilde”, fotostudija “Studio Imagine”, Autortiesību un komunicēšanās konsultāciju aģentūra / Latvijas Autoru apvienība (AKKA/LAA).