20th Century English Masterpieces - Temple Church

The Holst Singers are delighted to be returning to Temple Church on 6th June for an evening of glorious 20th century English choral works, under the direction of our musical director Stephen Layton and accompanied by renowned organist Jeremy Cole.

Our programme includes Gerald Finzi's extraordinary ‘Lo, the full, final sacrifice’, a wide-ranging work for choir and organ that journeys from a dark and brooding opening to a poignant amen.

Two pieces by Herbert Howells and Benjamin Britten praise music’s patron saint.  Britten’s ‘Hymn to St Cecilia’ is a delicate and imaginative setting of a highly personal text by his friend W.H. Auden. Howells’ glorious and uplifting ‘A Hymn for St Cecilia’ presents a soaring unison hymn melody with harmonies that accumulate in richness with each verse.

The Temple Church’s magnificent organ will also be on full display accompanying the choir in Patrick Hadley’s rousing ‘My beloved spake’ and William Walton’s ‘Jubilate Deo’, and as the star in Charles Stanford’s monumental Fantasia and Toccata in D minor.

We will also present two superb anthems for unaccompanied double choir: ‘Come, Holy Ghost’ by Jonathan Harvey and ‘Hymn to the Creator of Light’ by John Rutter, both of which feature rich textures and harmonically intense writing.

Book now to join us for a great evening of unashamedly emotional music making in the beautiful surroundings and acoustics of Temple Church. Tickets are available here.

Full programme:

Howells – A Hymn for St Cecilia

Hadley – My beloved spake

Harvey – Come, Holy Ghost

Rutter – Hymn to the Creator of Light

Stanford – Fantasia and Toccata in D Minor

Britten – Hymn to St Cecilia

Finzi – Lo, the full, final sacrifice

Walton – Jubilate Deo

Directed by Stephen Layton

Jeremy Cole - organ

Photo DAVID ILIFF. License: CC BY-SA 3.0