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The Dmitri Ensemble is touring three major works for Passiontide by two of today's most striking composers, performing James MacMillan's celebrated Seven Last Words From The Cross alongside Giles Swayne's Stabat Mater for solo quartet and choir.

The Last Seven Words From The Cross is one of the most celebrated works from composer James MacMillan in the last 20 years.

Commissioned originally by the ´óÏó´«Ã½ in 1994, it was first screened in seven nightly episodes during Holy Week - it is now better known as a concert performance.

Last sentences uttered by Christ

"The Seven Last Words From The Cross are those last sentences uttered by Christ as he was left hanging," said Graham Ross, conductor with the Dmitri Ensemble.

"James MacMillan has taken the traditional text based on a compilation from all four gospels and he's put them together to form a sequential presentation of the seven last sentences uttered by Christ as he was left dying," he added.

MacMillan's setting of the last words, based on the verses from the four gospels, surrounds these words with other scripture and prayers commonly used by the church on Good Friday.

Act of letting go

"Jesus' last words are acts of letting go," said the Revd James Mustard, curate at St Peter Mancroft, Norwich.

Revd James Mustard

"Jesus forgives his tormentors as to die with bitterness in his heart will accomplish little. If Jesus has to end conflict, he has to prevent his death being avenged - this is best achieved by asserting his forgiveness.

"Jesus' last acts ensure that his death will transform the communities that organised his execution by demonstrating that God is at work in this act, not political and religious rivalries.

"These are the acts of a dying man 'signing off'. Anyone who has spent time with the dying will know there are many stages of 'signing-off' which take place.

"The dying and the living may say and do things that have never been said and done before in order to ensure that when they have died, those left will be transformed by the experience.

"The way Jesus died is an example of how we all may die," he added.

Challenging work

The Seven Last Words On The Cross is recognised as a challenging piece of work.

"There was one review from ´óÏó´«Ã½ Music magazine which said, 'It is music of awe-inspiring, agonised, simplicity,' which is a bit of a mouthful, but I think it says exactly what it is," said Graham Ross.

The Dmitri Ensemble

"I think it's certainly difficult, but I think that's in the context of the performance. It's not an easy work to perform. I think it challenges the listener and I don't think that's a bad thing.

"There are moments that are very beautiful and you can't fail to be moved by the end of it. The final movement, MacMillan puts his heritage into the work so you find Scottish folk melodies within two weaving violin lines which fade away to nothing – if you like, they are the last word.

"I think it's very listenable. There are moments of huge agonised power and other moments of sublime reflection upon the text itself," he added.

Stabat Mater

In addition to the work of MacMillan, the Dmitri Ensemble will also perform Giles Swayne's Stabat Mater - a meditation upon the Virgin Mary's response to the death of her son, Jesus.

Interspersing the Latin stanzas with texts from the Muslim and Jewish burial services, Swayne creates a collective mourning of grief in a powerfully relevant new setting.

"We think that the pairing of that [the Stabat Mater] with the MacMillan is something quite unique," said Graham Ross.

"Both pieces look at the same subject matter but Giles Swain's take on the Stabat Mater [medieval poem] is very much connected to the present day. He dedicates his work to the grieving mothers of Israel and Palestine.

Stained glass at Norwich Cathedral

"Within the Latin poem from 13th century Italy he incorporates the Aramaic, the Hebrew text of the Caddish and also the Arabic of the Muslim burial service.

"His final movement incorporates the words from the Agnus dei [lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world – have mercy on us], the mass, and it unites all three religious cultures in a prayer for peace if you like – in Latin, Arabic, Hebrew and Aramaic – the last of which of course is the language spoken by Jesus himself.

"So his take on it is rather interesting, particularly in light of what’s happening today and continues to happen in the Middle East, it's another powerful work and we feel it should be heard more.

"The ability to marry these works together, it works very well both practically and liturgically," he added.

The Seven Last Words Of The Cross and the Stabat Mater are performed by The Dmitri Ensemble at Norwich Cathedral on Saturday, 15 March, 2008 at 7.30pm. For more details call 01603 630000.

The Passiontide Tour takes place ahead of the Dmitri Ensemble recording their first commercial disc, a recording of works by James MacMillan for the Naxos label, to be released in 2009.