Ketil Bjørnstad's passion for the English metaphysical poet John Donne 15721631 is a lifelong affair. The Norwegian pianistcomposer's settings of Donne's verse have led to recordings including The Shadow, Grace, the ECM album The Light, and now this important disc. p"After working with the texts of John Donne for more than twenty years, I still find new approaches to understanding what he wrote and I find music throughout. It is in the language, in the rhythm, in the silence between the sentences a passionate quest for meaning and reconciliation. Donne's dramatic life is reflected in the texts and everywhere in them you will find the passion, melodies and sounds".p pBjørnstad wrote 'A Passion for John Donne' for the Oslo International Church Festival in the winter of 20112012 and the premiere performance documented here was at the Sofienberg Kirke in Oslo in March 2012. The Oslo Chamber Choir is sensitively directed by Håkon Daniel Nystedt, and passion is personified in the unique performance of Håkon Kornstad, who makes his ECM debut, as both tenor saxophonist and classical tenor singer.p pOver the years, Bjørnstad has been a highly prolific creator, with more than 50 albums and 40 books to his name. The Osloborn pianist, composer, improviser, novelist, poet and essayist, described by The Guardian as "a cultural prodigy", has been an ECM recording artist since 1993, when his 'Water Stories' album was issued. Other ECM recordings include 'The Sea', 'The River', 'The Sea II', 'Epigraphs', 'Life In Leipzig', 'The Light', 'Remembrance', 'Night Song', 'Vinding's Music Songs From The Alder Thicket', 'La notte', his tribute to film director Antonioni, and 'Sunrise', a cantata on texts by Edvard Munch.p pPersonnel: Ketil Bjørnstad piano, Håkon Kornstad saxophone, flute, voice, Birger Mistereggen percussion, Oslo Chamber Choir, Håkon Daniel Nystedt conductorp