Eternity and Purpose

In the autumn of 1979, Arvo and Nora Pärt had an unexpected caller at their apartment. It was a leading member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party in Soviet Estonia. He'd dropped by to offer a friendly suggestion: it might be better all round if they left the country. It was meant to look like a voluntary decision, but it was really an eviction order. So, at five o'clock on the morning of 18th January 1980, telling their children they were all going on a round-the-world trip, they set off from Baltic Station in Tallinn. Donald Macleod continues his exploration of the life and music of Estonian composer Arvo Pärt, in this programme focusing on the years after Pärt's move to the West. Part of the BBC's Classical Voice season, celebrating the art of singing.