THE LINE OF BEAUTY
PALESTRINA Missa Papae Marcelli
OLA GJEILO Ubi Caritas
ARVO PÄRT The Deer’s Cry
CAROLINE SHAW And the swallow
BRAHMS Geistliches Lied
CALDARA Crucifixus à 16 voci
CARISSIMI Plorate filii Israel
PALESTRINA Exsultate Deo
TALLIS Loquebantur Variis Linguis
Instrumental works:
BACH Prelude (from Cello Suite No 1, BWV 1007)
SCHUBERT Ave Maria (D839)
DENIS BÉDARD Fantaisie sur 'Veni Creator’
Encore:
RHEINBERGER Abendlied
Rebecca Allnatt cello
Stephen Tanner organ
Andrea Brown conductor
In this concert we celebrated the enduring legacy of Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, one of the greatest composers of the Renaissance whose influence has echoed through centuries of choral music.
At the heart of the programme was Palestrina’s breathtaking Missa Papae Marcelli, the legendary Mass said to have saved polyphonic music from being silenced by the Catholic Church. Around this cornerstone was woven a rich tapestry of works that spanned half a millennium, each reflecting the profound impact of his genius.
From the understated brilliance of Brahms' Geistliches Lied to the shimmering mysticism of Caldara's 16-part Crucifixus, from the haunting minimalism of Arvo Pärt’s The Deer’s Cry to the contemporary elegance of Caroline Shaw’s And the swallow, this concert offered a powerful blend of beauty, history and innovation, including music that shaped choral history and continues to inspire it today.
