To celebrate the music of Passiontide, Harlow Chorus is performing a concert of marvellous sacred pieces from the 17^th to 19^th centuries on Saturday 5^th March, 7.30pm, at All Saints Church, Hockerill.

The first half of the concert consists of short, but highly expressive pieces by a variety of well-known composers, including Pergolesi (‘Miserere’), Victoria (‘O vos omnes’) Lotti (‘Crucifixus a8’) and Rossini (‘O salutaris hostia’). However, the most famous piece – and one that is not often performed by a mixed voice choir outside of the traditional Cathedral setting, is the ‘Miserere’ by Gregorio Allegri.

Allegri was a singer, composer and priest, who lived and worked in Rome. He was a member of the papal choir and composed the ‘Miserere’ for the service of Tenebrae (darkness) which traditionally took place on the last three days of the Passion, including Good Friday, and at which the church candles were extinguished one by one until a single candle was left burning during the singing of the ‘Miserere’. This performance became an extremely popular annual event in Rome, eagerly awaited by the congregation.

Even without the dimming of light in All Saints during the Chorus’ performance, it will prove as spine-chillingly dramatic and atmospheric as ever, as the soprano soars to a top C!

The Chorus will be joined in this piece by the young talented Soprano Anne-Marie Cullum and will be accompanied in other pieces by the organist and composer Paul Ayres, both of whom will also perform solo pieces.

The second half is taken up by one work: Cherubini’s ‘Requiem’. Written for four-part mixed choir, this was composed by Cherubini in 1815 at the request of Louis XVIII of France for the memorial service of Louis XVI, who had met a tragic death by guillotine during the French Revolution. However it was also performed at the funeral of Beethoven in 1827 and was considered by contemporaries such as Robert Schumann to be alongside the Mozart Requiem in importance!

Time may have changed our attitude towards the importance of this piece but it is, nevertheless, tuneful, affecting and manages to convey the meaning behind the words in a very economical way. It also provides the choir with an opportunity to demonstrate the glories of choral singing in the traditional contrasting movements of the Requiem.

The performance is conducted by the Musical Director of Harlow Chorus, Sarah Tenant-Flowers, and promises to be a feast of gorgeous, accessible music!