O Salutaris

"O Salutaris" received  Latvian Music Awards trophy as best Academic music album of 2011.

In December 2011 youth choir "Kamēr..." and its conductor and artistic director Māris Sirmais published a new CD under the title "O Salutaris" that contains both previously recorded and freshly taped choral music exclusively by Ēriks Ešenvalds.

The friendship between "Kamēr..." and Ešenvalds is already several years long. It would not be an exaggeration to say that this collaboration has been very beneficial, also in terms of recognition, for both the choir and composer.

The residing composer of Cambridge University Trinity College says: "These days Latvian choir "Kamēr..." is one of the most pronounced flagships of choral music in the world. I would not like to mention neither its horizons of musical capabilities nor artistic qualities. Just one thing - the art created by choir "Kamēr..." and Māris Sirmais is the heritage of the highest standard for tomorrow's world."

In the CD you will find such world renowned pieces like "A Drop in the Ocean", dedicated to memory of Mother Theresa, the love madrigal composed for the 20th anniversary of the choir "Long Road" with lyrics by Paulīna Bārda and "Aizej, lietiņ" with folk tune elements. Besides these there are also arrangements for the popular American prayer "Amazing Grace" and Renārs Kaupers' love madrigal "My Little Picture Frame".

This is the first recording of the title piece "O Salutaris", as well as for fragments of 2010 staging of "The Christmas Legend" with soloists Renārs Kaupers, Jānis Apeinis, Valdis Muktupāvels, and percussionist Rihards Zaļupe.

Consistently the design of the CD was created by prominent Latvian artist Ilmārs Blumbergs, adding a special artistic value to it.