Epic Path of Miracles takes listeners on a sonic pilgrimage inspired by Camino de Santiago

Vancouver Chamber Choir takes on Joby Talbot’s monumental a cappella composition

By Gail Johnson

Vancouver Chamber Choir. Photo by Diamond’s Edge Photography

Vancouver Chamber Choir presents Path of Miracles on April 22 at 7:30 pm at St. Andrew’s-Wesley United Church

CAMINO DE SANTIAGO is a network of ancient pilgrim routes throughout Spain, Portugal, and France, all trails leading to the tomb of St. James in the northwestern Spanish town of Santiago de Compostela. Inspired by “the Way of St James”, Joby Talbot’s Path of Miracles proved to be a pilgrimage of another sort; the four-movement a cappella choral work took the British composer three-and-a-half years to write. The 2005 piece is also a mighty undertaking for singers, Talbot’s masterpiece clocking in 62 minutes—a monumental duration for artists whose repertoire consists mainly of songs lasting around three to five minutes. So explains Kari Turunen, artistic director of Vancouver Chamber Choir, who is always on the lookout for pieces that are outstanding in length and scope. 

“As far as choral pieces go, it’s very unusual to have a piece of a duration over an hour,” Turunen says in a Zoom interview with Stir. “It’s different. It stands out….I wanted to have another category that you could call ‘choral symphonies’. I didn’t know [Path of Miracles] that well myself, so it was a bit of a pilgrimage for me into the work.”

With 17 individual vocal lines, Path of Miracles consists of four movements (Roncesvalles, Burgos, León and Santiago), each named for a main post along the Camino de Santiago, which serve as the work’s musical arc. Talbot turned to British poet Robert Dickinson to construct a libretto of reflections on the pilgrimage, which are juxtaposed with surviving medieval texts.

“The whole approach is unusual,” Turunen says. “It intertwines a lot of the mythical material, first-millennium material about the pilgrimage, with this prosaic poem, which keeps the work together. It was a huge undertaking to start this from scratch. I love that it has such a specific character. It has an identity. It really is quite special.” 

"Very often, climbing a mountain like this piece is very hard work, but once you get there and you get a glimpse of what’s around you, you are transported, and your life becomes even more meaningful for a little while.”

While the epic composition is demanding for those bringing it to life, Turunen is quick to point out that it has quite the opposite effect on listeners. And although the pilgrimage has its roots in Catholicism, for many today it is a spiritual journey, a way to connect with nature and oneself. Turunen describes Path of Miracles as capturing the quest’s aura of spirituality rather than being overtly religious.

“Talbot has done a lot of scenic music, theatre and film, and you can hear that in this piece,” Turunen says. “The music isn’t hard to digest. There are moments which are meant to be hard; it describes hardships of the Camino and life, I think, in general, so they are meant to be difficult, but they are always clarified, and most of it is really fun listening. 

“Anyone listening would probably think it is just sheer beauty, and that coincides with the marvel felt by pilgrims, the beauty of nature, seeing that town after all these kilometres behind you,” he says. “The composer takes you on that journey and carries you.”

Creating an experience is Turunen’s goal in leading Vancouver Chamber Choir, welcoming the return of live performance and human interaction to give the work meaning. That deeper connection is part of what drew him to the challenge and joy of conducting in the first place. 

“Someone once said by the time you die, you almost learn how to do this,” he says with a laugh. “It’s endlessly demanding, but then there are moments when everything just clicks. There are these amazing times in your life when time ceases to be; it’s just existence—pure, sheer existence….You’re operating above the mundane, and that’s what we do when we climb mountains. It’s tough to get up there, but when you look at the scenery, it raises you above your everyday life and you come back refreshed. Very often, climbing a mountain like this piece is very hard work, but once you get there and you get a glimpse of what’s around you, you are transported, and your life becomes even more meaningful for a little while. That enriches you in a way.”

For more information, see Vancouver Chamber Choir.. 

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