Kwintessens: Habitare Fratres

The Dutch ensemble Kwintessens will present a program featuring some of Arvo Pärt’s a cappella masterpieces alongside contemporary works by young composers such as Mühlrad and Dahlgren (Sweden), Rimmer (UK), Uusberg (Estonia), and Van der Laag (The Netherlands).

Founded in 2005 in The Hague by conductor Raoul Boesten, Kwintessens comprises 26 trained singers. Raoul Boesten, who began his musical journey as a child, studied music education and choral conducting at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague. A Waldorf school teacher and music educator in Leiden, he leads several choirs and has collaborated with composers such as Arvo Pärt, Pärt Uusberg, Bernat Vivancos, Alec Roth, and Diederik van der Laag, recording multiple albums throughout his career. Raoul Boesten often performs music of Arvo Pärt and other Estonian composers, and in 2018, the choir released an album with Arvo Pärt’s a cappella choral works. Raoul Boesten annually performs Arvo Pärt’s “Kanon pokajanen” in the Netherlands with his ensembles, and on the occasion of the 90th anniversary year, several concerts and master classes dedicated to Arvo Pärt’s music will be held under Stichting Kwintessens (see more at https://arvopart.nl/).

Raoul Boesten: “We are honored to be invited by the Arvo Pärt Centre in Laulasmaa to perform. For over 20 years, we have studied and performed Pärt’s music. In 2013, we were privileged to have Arvo Pärt attend our rehearsals and performances of “Adam’s Lament”. The following year, we visited Estonia, where we met Pärt along with fellow composers Pärt Uusberg, Veljo Tormis, and Tõnu Kõrvits. In 2015, we organised an Arvo Pärt festival, and in 2019, we released a CD of Pärt’s music. For us, his work is a profound guide in life, it offers a whetstone for the soul.
This program is a prayer for new sun to arise (Sol Lokk) the emergence of a new era defined by human dignity, fraternity, and peace. We live in challenging times marked by polarisation and conflict, yet we also see a growing sensitivity to dignity, quality, and purity. Pärt’s music serves as a compass for these times—welcoming all, fostering understanding and compassion. The Baltic Singing Revolution also inspired us as we selected pieces for this program.”

Programme:

arr. Paul Gerhardt
– Mu süda ärka üles

Otto Mortensen (1952)
– Til ungdommen

Jakob Mühlrad (1991)
– Anim zemiroth

Benjamin Rimmer (1993)
– In the Shining Blackness

Henrik Dahlgren (1991)
– Son to Mother

Pärt Uusberg (1986)
– Ilus ta ei ole
– Luiged läevad

Marianne Reidarsdatter Eriksen (1971)
– Sol lokk

Diederik van der Laag (1991)
– Miks ma ei tapa ennast

Arvo Pärt (1935)
– Virgencita
– Nunc dimittis
– The Deer’s Cry
– And I Heard a Voice …
– Da pacem Domine
– Habitare fratres in unum