The Camino de Santiago has for centuries been a leading pilgrimage path which has been followed by millions of Christians. In reality a series of interconnecting routes, the most widely accepted traditional Camino is from Roncesvalles in North Eastern Spain to the great cathedral of St James (Iago in Spanish) in Santiago de Compostela in the West of the country.

It is this mystical and timeless journey which forms the inspiration and basis for Joby Talbot’s extraordinary choral work Path of Miracles which was commissioned for Tenebrae in 2005.

The piece aims to follow the journey of the pilgrims with four distinct sections, each signifiying a landmark along the route which for the faithful is not just a physical stage in the progress but also a spiritual step as the walkers prepare themselves for the end of the road.

Talbot’s work brings us both the physical and the metaphysical elements of such a spiritual exercise. We hear the pilgrims grumble that ‘innkeepers cheat us’ and ‘the English steal’ while they talk of their trek ‘over river and sheep track, by hospices and hermit’s caves’. But we also learn of their spiritual struggles ‘we beat our hands against the walls of heaven and we are not heard’ and their moments of spiritual bliss ‘that we are here is a miracle’.

As we follow the pilgrims from Roncesvalles through Burgos and Léon, we sense their gradually building joy as they approach their goal and then the contemplation that follows as they consider the effects of the journey on the rest of their lives.

Path of Miracles is a hugely intricate work bringing in influences from across the centuries and the many different countries and cultures from which the pilgrims hail so that the piece uses different vocal techniques and languages including Latin, English, Basque, Spanish and French.

The fact the piece was commissioned for Tenebrae means it is a perfect fit for their contemplative mode of performance and the talents of their singers. Under conductor Nigel Short, the choir are note perfect throughout the 75-minute performance. But the real beauty in their presentation is that they do so much more than sing the work, they also feel it, taking us with them on the journey into the souls of the pilgrims.

The choir make effective use of the atmospheric spaces in Lichfield Cathedral, promenading or singing from different areas of the cathedral during the performance so the sound envelopes the audience from all angles.

While in no way could seeing and hearing Path of Miracles compare with an arduous trek lasting weeks it does offer a brief insight into the experience of such a pilgrimage and the reasons why it has remained so popular even into the present day.

Forming part of this year’s Lichfield Festival, Tenebrae’s Path of Miracles is a real gem which was performed in the ideal setting. It’s a pity it was only for one night or I’d be tempted to go back and see it again!

Five stars

Reviewed by Diane Parkes at Lichfield Cathedral on Sunday 13 July. Lichfield Festival continues until Sunday 20 July. Information and tickets for all upcoming events can be found at lichfieldfestival.org

Image credit: Sim Canetty-Clarke