Easter Harmonies for Harrow Choral Society

Following its very successful Christmas Celebration at Harrow School Speech Room, Harrow Choral Society is working towards its Spring Concert at St Alban’s Church, North Harrow on Saturday 5^th April when the 90-strong choir will perform sacred music for Easter by Romantic composers of the late nineteenth century.  

John Stainer’s Crucifixion is a musical narration of the Passion of Christ, first performed in 1887 in St Marylebone Church in London. Comprising choruses, solo arias, recitatives and chorale-like hymns, the structure of The Crucifixion closely follows Bach’s Passions.  The well-known chorus God so loved the World is often performed as a stand-alone piece and several of the hymns have passed into the popular repertoire.

Joseph Rheinberger’s Stabat Mater, written at the same time as The Crucifixion, is another moving interpretation of the Easter story. In this setting of the Seven Sorrows of the Virgin Mary the composer uses changing harmonies to transform the atmosphere of suffering to one of hope and salvation. Rheinberger wrote the piece while recovering from illness, so his Stabat Mater has a personal inspiration. Anton Bruckner’s beautiful motet Christus Factus Est is a deeply expressive setting of the traditional Easter liturgy which owes much to the influence of Richard Wagner. The programme will also include John Sanders’ setting of The Reproaches.

The choir will perform under the baton of Music Director Sam Evans, accompanied on the organ by Paul Ayres and by the Byron Ensemble.  They will be joined by tenor Thomas Herford and baritone Chris Webb.