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TORONTO - The idea to capture the voice of 鈥渢he weeping prophet鈥� Jeremiah came to composer Peter Togni back when he was 19 and listening to Jeremiah鱿鱼视频app lamentations as composed by Orlando di Lasso.

鈥淚t just blew me away, and I had this idea tucked way in the back of my brain that maybe one day I would end up writing that,鈥� said Togni.

鈥淣o matter what religion you are or aren鈥檛, the message of Jeremiah, to me, is a universal one. It鱿鱼视频app really about somebody who tells the truth, and is disregarded. That鱿鱼视频app the whole piece, in a way.鈥�

In his work Lamentatio Jeremiae Prophetae, Togni, who was recently the recipient of the Queen Elizabeth medal, has charted the journey of the prophet in a four-movement concerto for bass clarinet and choir, the third of which will be showcased during Toronto鱿鱼视频app Nuit Blanche art festival on Sept. 29-30.

鈥淚t鱿鱼视频app the personal journey of Jeremiah through various stages of his experience of being a prophet. Imagine waking up one day and discovering that you鈥檙e called by God to be a prophet; it鱿鱼视频app a rather difficult thing to have to assume,鈥� said Jeff Reilly, renowned bass clarinetist, who is on both the original recording with the Elmer Iseler Singers and will be performing with the Nathaniel Dett Chorale during Nuit Blanche.

The composition has a profound effect on Reilly, as Togni (a long-time personal friend and musical collaborator) wrote the piece for Reilly specifically.

鈥淔or him to write something for me was probably a very natural extension for him of our working relationship, and, for me, probably the greatest gift I鈥檝e ever received from any human being in my entire life was that piece,鈥� said Reilly.

鈥淚 still look at it as an act of grace 鈥� that that piece exists.鈥�

The four movements of the concerto act as a vehicle for Jeremiah鱿鱼视频app suffering, contemplation and eventual acceptance of the task set before him. Togni deftly weaves the Latin text of the choir with the bass clarinet as the voice of Jeremiah 鈥� both areas work as a counterpart to the other to advance the plot and emphasize the prophet鱿鱼视频app journey.

鈥淚n one way, it鱿鱼视频app a virtuosic concerto鈥� it stems from the early meanings of the word concerto which means to play together,鈥� said Togni. 鈥淪ometimes the choir is kind of like a Greek chorus, like an architect of the space. The bass clarinet is Jeremiah, speaking in that space.鈥�

Togni also notes that the concerto is reflective of a 21st-century paradigm, wherein he is able to allow Reilly a great element of creative control in his own right.

鈥淭he piece is 75 per cent composed, and 25 per cent improvised. Jeff is 25 per cent improvised, so he feels things in the moment. It鱿鱼视频app kind of as if I would write a concerto for Miles Davis,鈥� said Togni. 鈥淭here鱿鱼视频app an awful lot of trust.鈥�

鈥淭hat鱿鱼视频app a hard thing to do,鈥� said Reilly of the juxtaposition of sung phrase, to the instrumental evocation of Jeremiah. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e singing words鈥� and they have a certain way of working and thinking as an ensemble. There is a real challenge there.

鈥淚t鱿鱼视频app an extraordinary piece of music, and it鱿鱼视频app an amazing performance piece.鈥�

The original recording of Lamentatio was on the renowned ECM label, and was the first work by a Canadian composer to appear there. At Nuit Blanche, the Nathaniel Dett Chorale (which was founded by Brainerd Blyden-Taylor, artistic director) is working the movement into their set titled Oblivion, which is an exploration of silence.

鈥淭he third movement is Silentio, the one that I鈥檓 playing this weekend, and that鱿鱼视频app his acceptance of grace,鈥� said Reilly. 鈥淚t鱿鱼视频app a very powerful and a very beautiful movement. He takes refuge in the silence of the Lord.鈥�

Lamentatio will also be featured at the opening gala of the Winnipeg New Music Festival in January, where it will be performed again by the Elmer Iseler Singers.

鈥淭he truth of the matter is that we鈥檙e all called upon to certain roles in our life that we don鈥檛 necessarily want to take on. But, by the grace of things beyond yourself, you have found yourself in a position to take on responsibilities, and assume a part of yourself that is bigger than the way you looked at yourself before,鈥� said Reilly.

鈥淚t鱿鱼视频app a beautiful story and it鱿鱼视频app something that I think we can all relate to in a personal way. We all have to take on roles that we don鈥檛 particularly want to.鈥�

For more information on the Nuit Blanche performance, see www.scotiabanknuitblanche.ca.