Harpenden Choral Society is delighted to present their spring concert which features Haydn’s Nelson Mass and Durufle’s Requiem. The concert will be conducted by the choir’s Musical Director, John Andrews with soloists Soprano Eli Rolfe-Johnson, Mezzo Sophie Dicks, Tenor Alex Haigh and Bass Felix Kemp with accompaniment by the King’s Sinfonietta Orchestra and organist Richard Gowers.
Haydn’s Missa in Angustiis, or Nelson Mass, to give it its popular title, was composed in 1798, a time of adversity and stress as the Napoleonic Wars threatened Austria. This Mass is written for Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Bass soloists and SATB Chorus, accompanied by organ and orchestra. The soloists are not given separate arias; they sing with the chorus, emerging for short solo and ensemble passages. At times, such as the opening Kyrie, the music is somewhat dark and restless, but the work as a whole reflects Haydn’s optimistic outlook on life and his strong faith in God.
Maurice Duruflé’s Requiem was composed during the Second World War. Its form, and ambience have parallels with Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem written fifty-seven years earlier; but important distinctions can be found in Duruflé’s use of Gregorian chant melodies, which permeate the entire work, and in his particular harmonic style. This is a work of atmospheric beauty and serenity.
