Worcester Cathedral to host large-scale classic concert

Worcester Festival Choral Society, the county's top large classical group, is due to perform Brahms's Ein Deutsches Requiem on November 25 at 7.30pm.

The concert will showcase around 200 performers, 140 singers, a symphony orchestra, and esteemed soloists who have performed at the Royal Albert Hall and the Royal Opera House.

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The deeply moving Ein Deutsches Requiem, created in memory of Brahms's mother, has become a cornerstone of choral music.

It includes classics such as the gentle 'Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen' (How lovely are thy dwellings') and the hair-raising 'Denn alles Fleisch, es ist wie Gras ('For all flesh, is as grass').

Soloing the evening are soprano Rebecca Hardwick, who sings internationally in concerts, operas and ensembles such as the Monteverdi Choir, and award-winning baritone Julien Van Mellaerts, who performs in worldwide operas and recitals and was the New Zealand representative in Cardiff Singer of the World in 2019.

To open the concert, the Meridian Sinfonia will showcase Richard Wagner's Siegfried Idyll - a popular orchestral work penned for his wife as a Christmas gift.

Susan White, chairman of Worcester Festival Choral Society, said: "We’re thrilled to open our concert season with these stunning works.

"Hearing this quality of music performed live, on this scale, in the Cathedral’s majestic surroundings, makes an unforgettable experience."

The choir has a history dating back to 1861, linking it with choral greats like Sir Edward Elgar.

The choir, which forms a significant part of the renowned Three Choirs Festival Chorus each year, is trained by Worcester Cathedral’s director of music, Samuel Hudson.

Tickets for the concert can be purchased from the Worcester Festival Choral Society's website, and TicketSource at 0333 666 3366 (local call rate).