Palestrina in Rome
Celebrating Palestrina’s 500th anniversary
Saturday 22 March 2025 at 7.30 pm
All Saints Weston
Chestnut Avenue, Esher, KT10 8JL
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Emily Elias guest conductor
Ticket prices, box office and online purchase
The concert will finish at approximately 9.15 pm. Please then join us in the church hall for refreshments.
Join us for an extraordinary musical journey spanning five centuries of sacred choral music. This innovative programme pairs Palestrina’s timeless Renaissance polyphony, composed for the magnificent acoustics of Roman basilicas, with modern masterworks setting the same ancient texts.
From Messiaen’s mystical harmonies in O sacrum convivium to MacMillan’s contemporary Celtic-influenced Ave maris stella, each modern setting brings fresh perspective to these venerable texts. Hear how Duruflé and Rheinberger honour Renaissance techniques while speaking in their own romantic voice, while Holst’s radiant Nunc dimittis and Sir John Tavener’s ethereal Mother of God, here I stand create transcendent soundscapes that bridge centuries of tradition.
This concert promises to be a captivating journey through the evolution of choral music, highlighting the enduring legacy of Palestrina on modern composers, and revealing how sacred texts continue to inspire profound musical expression.
We’re delighted that we will be conducted for this concert by Emily Elias. Emily directs the Merbecke Choir at Southwark Cathedral.
Repertoire
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
Jubilate Deo
Tu es Petrus
Agnus Dei from Missa Papae Marcelli
O sacrum convivium
Nunc dimittis
Ave maris stella
Ave Maria
Maurice Duruflé
Tu es Petrus
Josef Rheinberger
Mass in E flat – Sanctus and Benedictus
Olivier Messiaen
O sacrum convivium
Gustav Holst
Nunc dimittis
James MacMillan
Ave maris stella
John Tavener
Mother of God, here I stand
Tickets
£18 in advance
£20 on the day (including at the door)
Free for age 18 and below
Group discounts available
Box office
✆ 020 8399 2714
✉ ku.gro.riohconeipirnull@xov