The title Four Rituals implies a kind of musical communication that is not one-sided but is based on feedback from the audience. For example, the length of the first movement is not predetermined but depends entirely on the level of audience engagement and participation. Throughout the course of the work, the audience is actively encouraged by the percussionists and the choir to take part in this process of exchange and participation. The two inner movements do not engage the audience or the choir directly, but their structure and feel still adhere more to the concept of ritual than to that of a piece of "concert music".
Born in Greece, educated in the United States and a Canadian citizen since 1985, composer Christos Hatzis (b.1953) is becoming widely known as a leading figure in contemporary classical music. His works are performed and broadcast throughout the world, and their frequent combination of a powerful spiritual foundation with an immediately accessible appeal has made a deep emotional impact upon audiences and performers alike.
