London Concert Choir – Howells Requiem & Stainer The Crucifixion – 7.30pm
in London Concert Choir for an evening of sacred music from two of the great English choral composers, in the perfect setting.
The understated beauty and emotion of Herbert Howells’ interwar Requiem offers the perfect foil for the reverent Victorian grandeur of John Stainer’s Passiontide oratorio, The Crucifixion.
Howells’ unaccompanied Requiem brings his unmistakable compositional voice and very personal interpretation to the Church’s liturgy for the dead. Composed in 1932, but unpublished until 1980, it provided the genesis of the more complex and widely acclaimed Hymnus Paradisi. With characteristic precision and clarity, Howells evokes loss, grief, reflection and redemption, blending elements of the Latin mass and The Book of Common Prayer.
Our audience is invited to join the choir in singing the hymns of The Crucifixion, ably led by conductor Mark Forkgen. This is a chance to experience the piece as originally conceived by Stainer, who intended it as a participatory act of worship and mediation, inspired by Bach’s Passions and with the directness of an English libretto. Alongside recitatives, choruses and solos, the piece includes renowned hymn tunes that joined the canon of sung worship in the Anglican communion and beyond.
Our concert venue is especially well-matched with this musical programme. Holy Trinity Sloane Square was described by John Betjeman as “the cathedral of the Arts and Crafts movement”. Its richly decorated interior is a visual expression of the aesthetic, social and spiritual ideas of the Anglo-Catholic revival, with which the church was closely connected in the late 19th century.
Our performance in the beautiful and evocative space at Holy Trinity promises to bring Stainer and Howells’ immediacy, devotional sincerity and blend of traditional and modern elements to life for a contemporary audience.
The choir is joined by soloists William Searle (tenor) and Toby Stafford-Allen (bass-baritone) and organist Martyn Noble.
London Concert Choir, one of London’s most versatile choirs, is recognised for its fresh and responsive interpretation of a wide choral repertoire, from sacred works to jazz, opera and musical theatre. Under the leadership of conductor Mark Forkgen, the choir regularly performs in venues across London, working with leading orchestras and solo performers.
Upcoming Events
London Oriana Choir – Path of Miracles –
Composer Joby Talbot’s acclaimed choral work, Path of Miracles, takes its inspiration from the famous ancient pilgrimage route to Santiago di Compostela in northern Spain, chronicling the 500-mile journey from the foot of the northern Pyrenees. Join London Oriana Choir, special guest singers from the award-winning, original commissioning ensemble Tenebrae and Dominic Ellis-Peckham for a truly memorable and dramatic performance of this unique choral masterpiece.
The Esterhazy Singers – Haydn’s St Nicholas Mass, and Holst’s The Cloud Messenger – 7pm
Haydn’s mass was dedicated to Nicolaus Esterhazy, his patron from whom we take our name, and in this performance it is paired with Holst’s little known choral masterpiece, considered by the composer one of his best works.
Doors open from 6:30pm for a 7pm performance. Tickets are £25, or £10 for under 25 year olds, and are available at the website below or on the door. Programmes will be available for purchase on the door for £2.
The Bach Choir – Into Spring: Au Printemps – Duruflé Requiem
Programme
Repertoire:
Duruflé – Requiem
Fauré – Cantique de Jean Racine
Poulenc – Easter motets
Poulenc – Litanies à la Vierge Noire
Conductor:
David Hill
Performers:
Katherine Gregory – Mezzo soprano
Philip Scriven – Organ