Saturday 30 March 7.30 pm

Music for Passiontide

St Philip’s Cathedral, Birmingham

 Conductor: Paul Spicer

Birmingham Bach Choir

Tenor: Robin Morton

Organist: Martyn Rawles

Programme:

Plainchant:
Stabat mater

JS Bach:
Ruht Wohl (St John Passion)

Bruckner:
Ave Maria
Christus factus est

Howells:
Requiem

Lassus:
Tristis est anima mea

Leighton:
Crucifixus pro nobis

Lotti:
Crucifixus

Tallis:
In ieiunio et fletu

This concert for Passiontide in our centenary year 2019 continues our wonderful voyage through areas of the choral repertoire not so often explored by such choirs.

Some beautiful early music including Lotti’s timeless Crucifixus opens the programme.

After the interval two of Bruckner’s magisterial motets will raise the roof in the wonderful acoustics of the cathedral

But the heart of the programme lies in two twentieth century small-scale masterpieces. Kenneth Leighton’s powerfully dramatic cantata Crucifixus pro nobis – a mini Passion for choir, organ and tenor soloist (sung by Robin Morton) was written for the choir of New College, Oxford in 1962 and Paul Spicer, the Bach Choir’s conductor, was a boy chorister in its first performance. The almost electrical charge of the music is heightened by the final movement, a setting of Phineas Fletcher’s beautiful words ‘Drop, drop slow tears’, being left completely unaccompanied. It is a stroke of genius.

The other great work in the programme is Herbert Howells’ extraordinary Requiem which became the core of his large-scale choral and orchestral work Hymnus Paradisi written as a memorial for his nine year old son Michael, who died of polio in 1935 soon after the Requiem was written (in 1932). It is an emotionally charged work which was kept as a personal document until 1980 when it was published. Paul Spicer has a personal connection with Howells in being his composition student at the RCM and having written his biography.

This will be a memorable concert for choir and audience alike and besides the music mentioned will also include seasonal music for organ played by Martyn Rawles.

BUY TICKETS HERE

Central Nave  (unreserved seating) £18

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Central Nave  (unreserved seating) Concession £16

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Side Aisles (downstairs) or Gallery (upstairs) £13

(unreserved seating, you choose where you prefer to sit on arrival)

Please note: many of the seats in these two areas have some restricted view due to the structure of the cathedral (pillars etc!)

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The Choir rehearsing in St Philip’s Cathedral 2018

The venue: St Phiip’s Cathedral, Colmore Row, Birmingham B3 2QB

Built in 1715 as the new parish church “on the hill”, St Philip’s is a rare and fine example of elegant English Baroque architecture. It is Grade 1 listed and one of the oldest buildings in the city still used for its original purpose. Fascinating both inside and out, the cathedral is home to some remarkable treasures (not least the inspiring stained-glass windows designed by Edward Burne-Jones) and amazing stories, all set amongst the daily rhythm of people criss-crossing this unique part of the city.

Detail from one of the many windows by Edward Burne-Jones