Event: Latvia - Riga

International Sacred Music Festival

When:	19 Aug - 6 Sep 2008 (annual)
Where:	Riga
Costs:	Various
Opening Hours:	Usually 7pm

The Sacred Music Festival, arranged by the Latvija State Choir, takes place in churches throughout Riga, with an emphasis on the performance of contemporary large-scale vocal, both accompanied and a capella, sacred works.

Each year the adventurous programme features new music by Latvian composers and concerts by internationally recognised composers. Giya Kancheli, Arvo Pärt, Valentin Silvestrov, Alexandre Knaifel and Sir John Tavener have all been among previous guests.

The origins of the event date back to 1998, when the State Choir Latvija performed a series of cantatas, oratorios and musical poems. The festival traditionally takes place at a time when the city's concert life is scarce, but the tourism season is in full swing.

After 2007, when Leonard Bernstein's eclectic Mass and Brahms' German Requiem formed the main works, the 11th International Sacred Music Festival in 2008 is topped and tailed by Gubaidulina's St John Passion and - in honour of his 75th birthday - Penderecki's avant-garde classic, the St Luke Passion, both in Riga Cathedral. Alongside sacred works by Schubert and Kodály, there are also performances of Raimondus Tiguls' Pagan Testament, Rihads Zaļupe Surrexit Christus! and Rihards Dubra's Omnes sitientes venite ad aquas.

Find full details of all performances on the Sacred Music Festival website.