Officium Novum

In 1994 the British vocal group, the Hilliard Ensemble, and the Norwegian saxophonist, Jan Garbarek, recorded Officium, an extraordinary CD which has over the years become a cult recording. The producer was the musical visionary Manfred Eicher, and since then continuous research by the Hilliards and Garbarek has produced Mnemosyne (1999) and Officium Novum (2010).

The new musical experience created by the combination of saxophonist Garbarek and the Hilliard vocal quartet remains the basis of their new project, Officium Novum. Combining medieval music, music from the Caucasus and Byzantine chant, and also works by Komitas Vardapet (1869-1935), Arvo Pärt (b. 1933) and Jan Garbarek himself, Officium Novum is much more than the outcome of an interesting interchange between the worlds of jazz and early music. It demonstrates that mutual dialogue between those two cultures leads to a degree of experimentation which transports the listener to uncharted musical territory full of striking new experiences.