Rheinberger Mass in E flat

Danesborough Chorus

Josef Rheinberger, a much under-rated composer, is today probably best known for his set of 20 organ sonatas. But he also wrote a large number of choral works of which his extraordinary Mass in E flat for unaccompanied double choir is generally considered to be his finest. Its antiphonal opening harks back to the works of Gabrieli and Monteverdi composed for spatially separated choirs, with the gloriously rich eight-part harmonies of later movements showing the influence of composers such as Bach and Mendelssohn. The overall result is a work which showcases Rheinberger’s own inventive powers of composition and has been described as “the most beautiful pure vocal mass of the nineteenth century.”
Norwegian composer Ola Gjeilo (b. 1978) created this 30-minute work in four sections: The Spheres (Kyrie), Sunrise (Gloria), The City (Credo), and Identity & The Ground (Sanctus, Benedictus & Agnus Dei). Gjeilo himself said: “The reason I used English titles, seemingly unrelated to the (mostly) Latin texts, for the movements in this setting of the Mass has mainly to do with the initial idea behind Sunrise Mass. I wanted the musical development of the work to evolve from the most transparent and spacey, to something completely earthy and grounded; from nebulous and pristine to more emotional and dramatic, and eventually warm and solid – as a metaphor for human development from child to adult, or as a spiritual journey.
Tickets: £20, £15, £10, students £5 from https://wegottickets.com/event/685989 or telephone 01908 386796.