London Sinfonietta - Connected

MICHAEL DRAKE

> Norwich Cathedral

Save for the weather forecast and the occasional soccer shock, the Faroe Islands seldom get a mention.

And whilst I suspect they may be hard put to muster a good choir, in bass singer Runi Brattaberg they have a gem.

And it was he, who with the immaculate London Sinfonietta, so positively conducted by Lithuanian-born Olari Elts, told of 12th century Nordic hero Egil's Saga in his journey to the east of England via a work commissioned by BBC Radio 3.

Whether on tape or (mostly) in person, Brattaberg's rich voice delivered Gavin Bryars' music with pleading and passion.

The Keswick Hall Choir added strategically-placed choruses and they were earlier heard in Arvo Part's Magnificat.

Dramatically lit in front of a film screen, they showed affinity to this composer with reverent and controlled singing of high quality.

Bryars also contributed his Sinking of the Titanic, in which the Sinfonietta maintained a melodic line full of poignancy, whilst their subtle interpretation of Sibelius' Valse Triste was a source of interval wonder.

This connected music, people and places and students from Notre Dame School and the Norwich NR5 project have been taking part in workshops and produced impressive film, sound and images based on the title.