Join The Purcell Singers in the atmospheric surroundings of a candlelit Smith Square Hall for a rich a cappella programme of contrasts: darkness and light, despair and hope, anguish and love.
Combining unbridled energy and perfect balance, The Purcell Singers will lead you through the soundworlds of Whitacre, Brahms, Sandström, Rautavaara, and Kõrvits.
In live performance, Eric Whitacre’s When David Heard is truly thrilling. The simple text repeats and builds within Whitacre’s soundscape with intricate interweaving patterns, the plaintive lamentation leading to a heart-stopping climax of raw emotion.
Sandström’s Four Songs of Love use complex divisi to create dazzlingly spectral harmonic structures, expressing the ecstasy of a sigh – or the slow breathing of a lover – with exquisite detail.
The soundworld of Rautavaara’s Missa a cappella is delicate and dramatic, contemporary and primeval, from the declamatory Gloria and unsettling rhythms and harmonies of the Credo, to the lyrical lushness of the Sanctus and the ethereal beauty of the Agnus Dei.
Ending with Kõrvits’ The Night is Darkening Round Me, a setting of Emily Brontë’s beautiful text for eight voices and mezzo solo. It takes the form of a dialogue between the soloist and the choir where different fragments of the text and melody are developed and echoed back, weaving them into a complex overlapping texture of sound, and painting the dusk and fall of night around us all.
The performance will last approximately 2 hours, including interval.
Full programme:
Eric Whitacre When David Heard
Johannes Brahms Motet, Op. 74 No 1: Warum
Sven-David Sandström Four Songs of Love
Einojuhani Rautavaara Missa a cappella
Tõnu Kõrvtis The Night is Darkening Round Me
Booking Information
Ticket prices
Price Band A £25
Price Band B £20
Price Band C and Gallery £15
For this event, all seating downstairs in the Hall is sold as allocated seating.
Seating in the Gallery is unreserved and may have a restricted view.
Please note that access to the Gallery is via a stone spiral staircase with no lift access, so seats in this area may not be suitable for those with limited mobility or difficulty climbing stairs.
Concessions
This concert is included in the under30s scheme - sign up for the scheme to access a limited number of £8 tickets.
Booking Fees
An 8% booking fee is charged on the sale of each ticket booked online and over the phone. Ticket prices on the booking page are shown inclusive of the booking fee.
There is no booking fee for tickets bought in person from the Sinfonia Smith Square Box Office, either in advance, or on the door before the event (subject to availability).
Conditions of Sale
It is the responsibility of the customer to check all booking details before making payment.
Please check all details carefully as it may not be possible to make changes once a booking is confirmed.
Tickets are only refundable in the event of a cancellation.
Further information
For any ticketing queries, please email boxoffice@sinfoniasmithsquare.org.uk or phone the Smith Square Booking Helpline on 020 7222 1061 (Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm).