Antonín Dvořák’s Stabat mater is a deeply felt work of mourning. Following the death of his daughter Josefa, he composed it for solo voices, chorus and piano, but left it unfinished. Two two years later he lost two more of his children, Otakar and Ružena. Only then did he complete and orchestrate the work.

The early version with piano accompaniment, performed by pianist Julius Drake, a quartet of first-rate vocal soloists and the BR Choir under the baton of its artistic director Howard Arman, offers a fresh look at a familiar Dvořák oratorio.

The missing movements are filled in with new pieces from the Slovakian composer Ľubica Čekovská.

Ever since the première of ‘Passio’ over 35 years ago the BR Choir has maintained a special relationship with Arvo Pärt and his music. To round off the evening the chorus is presenting the German première of Pärt’s recently completed short choral piece, And I Heard a Voice.