Howard Goodall's emotionally-charged new choral/orchestral work, Invictus: A Passion has premiered on both sides of the Atlantic in recent weeks.
The 55-minute work received its first performance on 25 March (Palm Sunday) in Houston, Texas, and is the result of commission from long-time Goodall advocates, St Luke's United Methodist Church (Music Director, Sid Davis). The composer conducted the premiere with the St Luke's UMC Chancel Choir.
Immediately prior to this, the work was recorded for August release by The Sixteen's 'Coro Connections' label, by Stephen Darlington and the Choir of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford with soloists from The Sixteen (Kirsty Hopkins and Mark Dobell) accompanied by the The Lanyer Ensemble.
The same forces then gave the work's European premiere in St John's Smith Square, London on 25 May (the day before the composer's 60th birthday), a performance that was also broadcast nationally on Classic FM.
Invictus: A Passion is now available for public performance and Faber Music has released the printed vocal score on sale. The recording will be released on 31 August and is available to pre-order on iTunes now.
The work seeks to address one of the most powerful and dramatic of the world’s traditional religious stories through the lens of a diverse, modern world. A variety of texts written or inspired by women form a narrative that describes human suffering and persecution, but also emphasises the human capacity for love and humility in the face of tyranny. These universal messages are brought to life with the emotional clarity and sweeping force of any Howard Goodall score.
Invictus: A Passion is scored for soprano solo, tenor solo, SATB choir and chamber orchestra. The vocal score includes a piano reduction.