RITUAL
RITUAL is far from a conventional concert; it is an invocation, a shared gesture of purpose, where music is transformed into a vessel for something much larger. Drawing on the ancient power of rituals, this performance connects humans to the sacred forces of nature, honouring glaciers, rivers, and forests as living entities. amid the reshaping of our sacred landscapes by time and water, the music unites audiences in a collective moment of transformation, turning grief into strength.
Conceived by director Arnbjörg María Danielsen, with composer Viktor Orri Árnason and Yo-Yo Ma, and with text by Andri Snær Magnason and ancient Icelandic poets, RITUAL provides a spiritual response to the overwhelming realities of our changing planet. A multitude of artists contribute their voices and instruments to this living composition, deeply rooted in Iceland's environmental wisdom, creating a dense weave of sound and silence.
The connection between music, ritual, and glaciers held particular poignancy in the age of global warming. The melting of glaciers, once thought eternal, now symbolised not just an ecological disaster but a dislocation of culture, spirituality, and place. Communities that once wove glaciers into their mythologies and ceremonies now faced the dissolution of these sacred symbols. In this context, rituals like RITUAL become essential social bonds for collective problem-solving, particularly in the face of climate change. through music, RITUAL summoned a reconnection to the sacredness of the earth itself, offering the possibility that environmental activism could evolve into something even more profound.
RITUAL was commissioned by Yo-Yo Ma in co-production with marvaða, in partnership with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and is part of Yo-Yo Ma’s Our Common Nature initiative, which explores how culture can reconnect us to the natural world. A multitude of artists lend their voices and instruments to this living composition rooted in the environmental wisdom of Iceland, each contributing to the dense weave of sound and silence.
CREDIT LIST:
Cello 1: Yo-Yo Ma
Cello 2: Sigurgeir Agnarsson
Cello 3: Steiney Sigurðardóttir
Cello 4: Bryndís Halla Gylfadóttir
Cello 5: Margrét Árnadóttir
Cello 6: Guðný Jónasdóttir
Cello 7: Bryndís Björgvinsdóttir
Cello 8: Urh Mrak Selló
Alto Flute & Flute: Áshildur Haraldsdóttir
Bass Flute & Alto Flute: Björg Brjánsdóttir
Clarinet: Grímur Helgason
Bass Clarinet: Helga Björg Jóhönnu Arnardóttir
Percussion: Frank Aarnink
Bass: Xun Yang
Harp: Katie Buckley
Electronic musician: Salka Valsdóttir
Electronic musician: Hafsteinn Þráinsson
Langspil: Gyða Valtýsdóttir
Langspil: Úlfur Hansson
Tenor & Langspil: Eyjólfur Eyjólfsson
Tenor: Þorkell Helgi Sigfússon
Soprano: Maria Konráðsdóttir
Mezzo-Soprano: Hildigunnur Einarsdóttir
Alto: Lilja Dögg Gunnarsdóttir
Baritone: Fjölnir Ólafsson
Bass: Philip barkhudarov
Voice: Brynja Steinunn H. Danielsen
CHOIRS
Mótettukórinn
Vox Feminae
Hljómfélagið
Laufáskórinn
Kvennakórinn Léttsveit Reykjavíkur
Aurora
Kór Guðríðarkirkju
Karlakórinn Fóstbræður
Graduale Nobili
PRODUCTION
Concept, Director, Visuals: Arnbjörg María Danielsen
Composer: Viktor Orri Árnason
Spoken Words: Andri Snær Magnason
Sound Design & Live Electronics: Hafsteinn Þráinsson & Salka Valsdóttir
Chorus Conductor: Stefan Sand
Scenography: Ingibjörg Jara & Arnbjörg María Danielsen
Costumes: Ingibjörg Jara
Costume & Styling Assistant: Jón Albert Méndez
Tailor: Helga Lúðvíksdóttir
Make-up: Sunna Björk Erlingsdóttir
Hair: Kristinn Óli
Light Design: Friðþjófur Þorsteinsson
Sound desk operator (Harpa): Þorbjörn G Kolbrúnarson
Stage construction: Irma Studio
Head Producer: Lama-Sea Dear
Project Manager (Harpa): Finnur Ragnarsson
Operations Manager (Marvaða): Anna Katrín Einarsdóttir
Creative Producer, Sound Postings (Office of Yo-Yo Ma): Sophie Shackleton
Deputy Director, Sound Postings (Office of Yo-Yo Ma): Ben Mandelkern
Executive Director, Sound Postings (Office of Yo-Yo Ma): Jonathan Bays
Director of Events and Organization (ISO): Valdís Þorkelsdóttir
Artistic Administrator (ISO): Jökull Torfason
RITUAL was commissioned by Yo-Yo Ma in co-production with marvaða and is part of Yo-Yo Ma’s Our Common Nature initiative, which explores how culture can reconnect us to the natural world. The creation of Viktor Orri Árnason's musical composition was made possible by Tambourine and in partnership with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra.
RITUAL is presented as part of the Arctic Circle Assembly 2024.
documented by Anna Maggý and Austin Mann
