An Evening of Sacred Splendour

The programme opens with Mozart’s radiant Regina coeli, K.127, a work that captures his gift for combining profound spirituality with effortless melodic grace. This leads into the uplifting Dixit Dominus, where Handel demonstrates his early explorations of counterpoint and dramatic expression.

The evening reaches its zenith with Haydn’s monumental Missa in angustiis, better known as the 1798 “Nelson Mass”, a work born from the composer’s mature genius and the tumultuous backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars. Here, Haydn achieves an extraordinary synthesis of intimate devotion and Classical grandeur, with the Kyrie’s urgent pleading giving way to the Gloria’s triumphant affirmation and the Agnus Dei’s transcendent serenity.

Under the expert guidance of conductor Ben Vonberg-Clark, this collaboration promises to illuminate these composers and their shared commitment to music as spiritual expression. The University of Essex Choir, renowned for their precision and musicality, will be joined by the Britten Pears Chamber Choir, with both perfectly complemented by the orchestra’s period-informed approach.

University of Essex Choir
Britten Pears Chamber Choir
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Ben Vonberg-Clark conductor