Join Burgess Hill Choral Society for a great evening of glorious music

We shall be singing Schubert’s glorious Mass in E Flat Major as well as Mozart’s evergreen favourite Ave Verum and are delighted to be joined at this concert by professional soloists from the Royal Academy of Music The choir will be conducted by the legendary Michael Stefan Wood BEM and accompanied by Sussex Classical Players, a full orchestra of outstanding musicians who will also be performing Haydn’s popular Military Symphony.

“Schubert was a master of melodies and wrote beautifully for the voice” says Mr Wood and nowhere is this skill better demonstrated than in his Mass in E Flat Major. Another key element in this work is the composer’s use of chromaticism which Mr Wood explains as “where notes move up or down by half a step.” “There are some gorgeous moments in this piece,” he continues, “where you get this beautiful choral sound and within the inner parts, the voices are moving by very small steps and suddenly it is like a kaleidoscope, a tiny little twist and a completely different harmonic picture emerges. It’s absolutely brilliant.”

Mozart’s Ave Verum is commonly described as a perfect gem of music and is a deceptively simple piece which lasts only three minutes but many people find it to be profoundly moving in its serenity and understated style.

In contrast Haydn’s Military Symphony contains massive sounds evoking battle and, ultimately, victory.

Burgess Hill Choral Society have had a very satisfying term learning the pieces for this concert. “The choir have found some of this work challenging which of course is what this is all about. Without challenge there can be no achievement,” comments Mr Wood, “We know that when we come to sing this it will be wonderful.”

Tickets for the spring concert are £15 in advance, £5 for under 18s and £17 on the door. They can be purchased from Burgess Hill Help Point, choir members or online at: www.ticketsource.co.uk/burgesshillchoral

For further information about the choir and its future events visit our website: www.burgesshillchoral.org, email [email protected] or phone 07522 493966.