Victoria’s Oficio de Tinieblas

The candles are lit. As the concert progresses, the flames are extinguished one by one. This is typical of Spanish choir Cantoría: dramatic music in a slightly theatrical, dramatic setting, in which communication with the audience plays a major role. The eight singers perform music for Holy Week (the week between Palm Sunday and Easter): the Oficio de Tinieblas by Tomás Luis de Victoria, Spain’s most important Renaissance composer. The story of Christ’s suffering brought to life. The ‘Dark Matins’ tell the poignant story of Holy Week, but do not include the story of the resurrection. Cantoría is a young, up-and-coming ensemble that is very good at passing on its enthusiasm to the audience. Or as the Volkskrant wrote: ‘Cantoría stands out for something else: the way it makes the audience feel included and engaged.’