Local Concerts and Workshops

Here you will find information about forthcoming concerts, workshops
and musical events in our locality

Christmas Concert 8th December 2018

Our annual Christmas concert this year features Rossini's Petite Messe Solennelle in it's original 1863 setting for four-part chorus and four soloists. Written towards the end of Rossini's life (he had retired from composing opera more than 30 years earlier), the title Little Solemn Mass is not without an element of the composer's humour.

Solemn refers to the extended form of the Mass and little probably refers to the original scoring for just twelve singers, four of them also acting as soloists with accompaniment from two pianos and harmonium (reed organ) and although Rossini later rearranged the accompaniment for full orchestra he preferred the chamber version.

We are performing the work in it's original form, with Jonathan French playing the dynamic piano accompaniment and Rowina Gibbons playing the harmonium that serves to provide the
orchestral filling.

Click on the image to download a copy of the poster.