The City of Oxford Choir – Haydn’s Nelson Mass

The City of Oxford Choir
Instruments of Time and Truth
Soloists: Charlotte Bowden, Bethany Horak-Hallett, Thomas Elwin, Edward Grint

A celebration of the City of Oxford Choir’s 20th anniversary under the direction of their Musical Director, Duncan Aspden, with the rich choral soundworlds of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven.

Haydn’s Nelson Mass, also known as the Mass in Troubled Times, was written during immense geopolitical uncertainty, with Napolean threatening Austrian sovereignty at a time of economic upheaval for the nation. The resulting work is often described as the composer’s greatest composition, exuding triumphant jubilation amidst dramatic darker passages. Haydn’s masterpiece will be accompanied by Mozart’s energetic settings of the Solemn Vespers, his final piece written for Salzburg Cathedral, with each movement expertly dancing around the musical demands of his conservative employer.

Programme

Haydn: Nelson Mass (Missa in Angustiis)
Mozart: Vespers K339
Beethoven: Elegischer Gesang
Mozart: Regina coeli K276

Soloists

Charlotte Bowden  – Soprano
Bethany Horak-Hallett  – Mezzo Soprano
Thomas Elwin – Tenor
Edward Grint – Bass Baritone