Arsis Handbell Ensemble Presents Its New Album in Saaremaa

One of Estonia's most distinctive musical ensembles, the Arsis Handbell Ensemble, will present its new album, Silver Rhapsody, on 30 October at Jämaja Church on the island of Saaremaa. The recording is an exceptional blend of Estonian folk melodies containing works by Arvo Pärt, Lepo Sumera and Heino Eller, alongside masterpieces from the classical repertoire.

Just like the new album, the concert programme features music by Eller, Pärt, Sumera, traditional Estonian folk tunes, Vivaldi–Bach, Rachmaninoff, Chopin, Elgar, Liszt and Rimsky-Korsakov. Audiences will hear Arvo Pärt's beloved Ukuaru Waltz alongside such iconic works as Franz Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2.

Founded in 1993 as the first handbell ensemble in the Baltic States and Scandinavia, Arsis, under the artistic direction of Aivar Mäe, has grown into an internationally acclaimed ensemble. Its distinctive sound combines precision, sensitivity and refined ensemble playing. Handbell music demands exceptional trust and unity: every performer is responsible for sounding each note at precisely the right moment, yet only together do all the bells create a complete musical whole.

Over the years, Arsis has performed in most European countries and has also brought Estonian musical culture to audiences in North America, Asia and Africa. The ensemble has a particularly close connection with the United States, where it has toured on numerous occasions and where its impressive set of handbells was made. Although Arsis has travelled extensively to distant parts of the world, paradoxically, in its 33-year history, it is the very first time that the ensemble will be performing at Jämaja Church in the historic Torgu Kingdom.

The concert is presented under the auspices of the Klaaspärlimäng Festival. A limited number of tickets are available through Piletilevi.