Saturday, September 18. Handel’s oratorio Messiah, crowned by the famous Hallelujah Choir – a magnificent finale where the joy of resurrection also frames this year’s festival theme: rebirth. Conductor Reinhard Goebel leads the Swedish Radio Choir, the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, and four world soloists; soprano Camilla Tilling, mezzo soprano Kristina Hammarström, tenor Andrew Staples and baritone Matthew Rose. In today’s talk, we meet Raimonds Tiguls and Nora Ikstena, two of Latvia’s most influential cultural figures, who wrote oratorio The Book of the Sea together. The talk is broadcast from the National Library in Riga, led by moderator Fredrik Wadström. All festival talks are shown on screen in Berwaldhallen and can also be experienced on Berwaldhallen Play.