The region’s leading large classical choir, Worcester Festival Choral Society, will be presenting Beethoven’s radiant choral masterpiece Mass in C at Worcester Cathedral on Saturday 16 March. 

Featuring 140 singers, a 33-piece orchestra and internationally acclaimed soloists whose credits include The Royal Opera, English Touring Opera and Opera North, the major concert will feature around 180 performers.

Containing some of Beethoven’s most sublime music for voices, Mass in C major was commissioned by a Hungarian prince in 1807 and today is regarded as one of Beethoven’s most moving works. The concert also includes Richard Blackford's beautiful 1996 cantata, Mirror of Perfection, expressively set to poems by St Francis of Assisi.

The evening’s soloists are soprano Susanna Fairbairn, mezzo-soprano Samantha Price, tenor Gwilym Bowen and baritone Dominic Sedgwick. Accompanying will be the Meridian Sinfonia orchestra, with Worcester Cathedral's director of music, Samuel Hudson, conducting.

Susan White, Chairman of Worcester Festival Choral Society, said: “There is something very special about hearing classical choral music performed live on this scale, in the Cathedral’s majestic surroundings. For this season-ending concert we have two, superb works from different eras in store, promising an outstanding experience.”  

Worcester Festival Choral Society has brought the choral greats to Worcester since 1861 and was often conducted by Sir Edward Elgar in its early days. Today it stages three concerts at Worcester Cathedral each year, plus a ‘Come & Sing’ workshop each March. Many WFCS singers are also selected for the renowned Three Choirs Festival Chorus each summer.

Tickets from wfcs.online and TicketSource 0333 666 3366 (local call rate).

Photo Credit: WFCS in concert at Worcester Cathedral  (© Michael Whitefoot)