Saturday 16 March 2024 at 7:30pm
Sherborne Abbey

Uplifting music for Lent, featuring Duruflé’s classic setting, and music by Bednall, Bruckner, Byrd, Gjeilo, Poulenc and Victoria

Organist Simon Clarkson
Cellist Beth Kitchen

French composer and organist Duruflé’s wonderful setting of the Requiem is one of the classics of the repertoire, setting Gregorian chant in the context of the sumptuous choral world of twentieth century Paris. It’s a favourite of choirs and audiences alike: don’t miss it! Duruflé produced three versions of his requiem setting, and we’ll be singing the most intimate of those, with organ accompaniment and solo cello, ideally suited to the Abbey.

We’ll also be marking the two hundredth birthday this year of Anton Bruckner, with two of his motets, and continuing our journey exploring the music of another French composer, Poulenc. Two Renaissance works for Lent complete our programme. Something for everyone!

This concert will be dedicated to our two choir members who sadly passed away a few months ago: Pam Coward and Steve Goodden, who are much missed by us. The programme will include Ola Gjeilo’s lovely setting of Ubi caritas, which we sang at Pam’s Thanksgiving Service, and David Bednall’s Blessed are the pure, a setting of the Beatitudes commissioned by us to sing at Steve’s Thanksgiving Service. The flower of our poster is also in their memory: Pam trained as a florist and Steve was a great lover of nature and all things outdoors.

Our complete programme:

David Bednall: Blessed are the pure
Anton Bruckner Motets: Locus iste and Christus factus est
William Byrd: Ne irascaris Domine
Maurice Duruflé: Requiem
Ola Gjeilo: Ubi caritas
Francis Poulenc: Lenten Motets, Timor et tremor and Vinea mea electa
Tomas Luis de Victoria: Salve Regina à 8

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