"O Saviour of the World" - a choral concert

Leeds Guild Of Singers

Leeds Guild of Singers are delighted to put on a special performance of choral music in conjunction with “Our Earth, Our City”, an event for the people of Leeds organised by Holy Trinity Boar Lane and St George's Churches. Its centrepiece is the “Gaia” installation, a giant revolving globe, which will be on public display at Holy Trinity Boar Lane and really is something to behold.

Our Musical Director, Benjamin Kirk, has put together a thoughtful choral programme on the themes of remembrance, creation and the Earth, to reflect the timing of the concert and the wider environmental event. The centrepiece will be the much-loved “Requiem” by Herbert Howells, there will be early music by Tallis and di Lasso, as well as contemporary works by Lauridsen and Whitacre. In light of the ongoing war in Ukraine, we will perform again a work by Ukrainian composer Dmitri Bortniansky, of which we gave the Yorkshire premiere in June. As 2022 marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of Ralph Vaughan Williams, we will end the concert with his moving work “Rest”.

We’ll also introduce you to less well-known pieces like “Earth Song” by Frank Ticheli and “A Song for the Season of Creation” by Ian Stephens. Here, we want to create an atmosphere of quiet reflection where you can consider the main themes of the “Our Earth, Our City” event: the protection of our planet and the urgent need to act on climate change. Before and after the concert, you will have an opportunity to view an exhibition of materials on environmental themes in the church.

A proportion of the proceeds from this concert’s ticket sales will go to Tearfund, a Christian charity which partners with churches in more than 50 of the world’s poorest countries. Our donation will support Tearfund’s climate campaign.