Saulkrasti choir “Anima” invites to “Sacred Jazz” concerts

The Saulkrasti choir “Anima”, conducted by Matīss Tučs, has created a concert program “Sacred Jazz”, which will delight the audience with the work of the American composer Duke Elington in the middle of the 20th century. The concert program will be played on January 22 at 15.00 in Riga Torņakalns church and on January 23 at 17.00 in Saulkrasti culture house “Zvejniekciems”.

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According to M.Tučs, the core of the concert program “Sacred Jazz” consists of compositions from D.Elington’s sacred concert cycles. It is an unusual testament to 20th century jazz music, as it was created for the big jazz band and church choirs. With these works the composer did not try to create a liturgical mass, but with spiritual texts he reflected on the eternally topical theme of faith and freedom in the sense of both racial discrimination and freedom of opinion and speech.

“I was struck by the composer’s own statement that these sacred concerts are his most important musical contribution. He conducted his orchestra for almost fifty years, using it as a creative laboratory for his compositions and the search for new means of expression. We have also arranged these 2022 concerts. “We have selected happy and inspiring compositions, which at the same time challenge the Latvian mentality of singers and listeners to the style of swing,” says M.Tučs about the idea of ​​the concert program.

The concerts “Sacred Jazz” will be conducted by Saulkrasti choir “Anima” conducted by Matīss Tučs, “Hammond” organ virtuoso Atis Andersons, saxophonist Roberts Martinovskis, percussionist Andris Buiķis, soloist Elīna Ose and step dance group “Soul Tap”. The choir “Anima” has been making music since 2001.

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