The Esterhazy Singers, under our new Music Director, David Halstead, were delighted to return to live performance with the glorious Nelson Mass – named Missa in Angustiis (Mass for troubled times) by the composer – joined by our orchestra in our first concert since 2020. Alongside Haydn’s ‘greatest’ work, we presented other works on the theme of turmoil: Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb sets verses written by psychiatric patient Christopher Smart, for this performance with Imogen Holst’s orchestration; alongside Brahms’ Geistliches Lied (Spiritual Song); and Mozart’s mournful Adagio and Fugue in C minor (K. 546).
The concert took place at Holy Trinity, Sloane Square, SW1X 9BZ, Friday 1st April 2022 at 7.30pm
One of our audience shared this wonderful reflection on the performance
“Many, many congratulations! It was a terrific performance of one of my favourite masses. Comparisons are odious because your performance was so special, sung with verve, passion and accuracy. You were great and so were the soloists. The director of music did a wonderfully inspiring job and I went to congratulate him afterwards. He was so pleased and proud of you all.
You were up there with the finest performances, including David Wilcocks and the King’s College Choir which I heard in the 1960s, because you captured the full spirit of the music – far better than the pedestrian version you can hear online.
So well done! You made my heart soar!”