PLEASE NOTE THE EARLIER START TIME FOR THIS CONCERT OF 4PM

ST GEORGE’S CHURCH, 4PM

Te Deum Georges Bizet

O Salutaris (A flat major) Charles Gounod

Cantique de Jean Racine Gabriel Fauré

St Cecilia Mass Charles Gounod

with organist, David Poulter and soprano, Janette Cattell, tenor, David Booer and bass, Paul Bonter

conducted by Francesca Massey

Join us as we transport you to 19th Century France, for a concert celebrating the Patron Saint of Music, St Cecilia.  Our programme features early works by composers who were to become the towering figures of the French Romantic. Charles Gounod's first major composition, the Messe Solennelle en l'honneur de Sainte Cécile, was premiered on this day in 1855, immediately receiving rave reviews for its charming simplicity and lyrical melodies.  

The grandiose Te Deum of Georges Bizet was his first offering after winning the prestigious Prix de Rome, although it remained unpublished until 1971 and is still rarely performed.  Big operatic tunes and dramatic elements are to be heard in abundance.

Meanwhile, Gabriel Fauré's beautiful Cantique de Jean Racine was a prize-winning work, composed when he was just 19 years old, and remains one of the most popular choral pieces of all time.

Tickets will be on sale here nearer the time.