Drone Mass
Programme
Jóhann Jóhannsson—Drone Mass Irish Premiere
Performers
Chamber Choir Ireland
Crash Ensemble
Paul Hillier—Conductor
Experience Jóhann Jóhannsson's mesmerising 'Drone Mass', performed by Chamber Choir Ireland and Crash Ensemble at Kilkenny Arts Festival 2024.
Despite the name, Drone Mass isn’t really a mass. It’s a mysterious and richly textured work inspired by an ancient Egyptian Coptic hymn, and for its Irish premiere we’ve assembled some of the finest musicians in the land, including Crash Ensemble, Chamber Choir Ireland, and multiple-Grammy-winning Paul Hillier, who conducted the recording of Drone Mass for Deutsche Grammophon in 2022. Weaving voices, strings and electronics into a mesmerising soundscape that bears comparison with the work of minimalist greats like Arvo Pärt and Henryk Górecki, Drone Mass is the thrilling debut Irish performance of a great composer’s crowning achievement.
The late Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson was a singular talent, as celebrated for his theatre and film scores (including Arrival and Sicario) as for his orchestral work, and Drone Mass is his defining work.
Despite the name, Drone Mass isn’t really a mass. It’s a mysterious and richly textured work inspired by an ancient Egyptian Coptic hymn, and for its Irish premiere we’ve assembled some of the finest musicians in the land, including Crash Ensemble, Chamber Choir Ireland, and multiple-Grammy-winning Paul Hillier, who conducted the recording of Drone Mass for Deutsche Grammophon in 2022. Weaving voices, strings and electronics into a mesmerising soundscape that bears comparison with the work of minimalist greats like Arvo Pärt and Henryk Górecki, Drone Mass is the thrilling debut Irish performance of a great composer’s crowning achievement.
The late Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson was a singular talent, as celebrated for his theatre and film scores (including Arrival and Sicario) as for his orchestral work, and Drone Mass is his defining work.