Passiontide at Merton: Exile Meditations

The Riga Vocal Quartet
Christopher Walsh Sinka conductor

The Riga Vocal Quartet was founded in 2017 by American conductor and singer Christopher Walsh Sinka. The ensemble is comprised of current and former members of the State Choir LATVIJA and the Latvian Radio Choir, two of the world’s finest professional choral ensembles. The Riga Vocal Quartet brings its ample experience in ensemble singing to a repertoire of both new and early music; in July 2017, the ensemble gave the world première of Gabriel Jackson’s Exile Meditations, a 30-minute work examining the universal refugee experience through the stories of Latvian refugees in post-World War II Europe and modern-day Middle Eastern refugees.

The Riga Vocal Quartet is comprised of:

• Agnese Urka (soprano, Latvian Radio Choir);
• Darta Treija (mezzo-soprano, former member of the State Choir LATVIJA);
• Christopher Walsh Sinka (tenor, State Choir LATVIJA); and
• Eduards Fiskovics (baritone, State Choir LATVIJA).

In addition to experience in choral singing, each member of the quartet brings considerable experience in ensemble leadership having completed varying levels of education in choral conducting.

Programme

Arvo Pärt Da pacem domine
Joaquin des Prez (attrib.) De profundis
Gabriel Jackson Exile Meditations