Roman graffiti provides the inspiration for Finnish composer Magnus Lindberg’s new choral work

Tuesday’s Guardian had this from Charlotte Higgins:

“Magnus Lindberg, the innovative Finnish composer, has finally cracked choral music – with a work commissioned by the Philharmonia Orchestra that takes its text from choice graffiti found in Pompeii and Herculaneum. Snippets of Latin he uses vary from quotations from Virgil (clearly some of the vandals of ancient Pompeii were pretty cultured) to recommendations of prostitutes’ oral sex skills (“Myrtis gives good head”). Lindberg likens the breadth of the texts to “a Google map – I was enchanted by the idea of having all those aspects of life at once. The dirty things they wrote on the walls were even stronger than the stuff you get today. I couldn’t use some of the really bad ones – I thought of my mum listening to the piece.” The Philharmonia will premiere Graffiti at London’s Royal Festival Hall in October.”

O Arelates, I think this could catch on. Maybe there will be something of the like making a guest appearance in the entertainment at the ARLT Summer School later this month?