Missa Sancti Nicolai - Wesley Centre

For their autumn concert Harrogate’s popular chamber choir Vocalis, directed by James Savage-Hanford will be welcoming back the Dales Ensemble and pianist Tim Harper for a performance of Joseph Haydn’s Missa Sancti Nicolai in the welcoming venue of the Wesley Centre in central Harrogate.

James has chosen a varied programme of music which spans the Classical musical period of Joseph Haydn and Ludwig van Beethoven to the Romantic music of Anton Bruckner, Johannes Brahms and Clara Schumann.

The Missa Sancti Nicolai scored for SATB soloists and choir will be accompanied by strings and piano. The Mass is thought to have been composed to celebrate the Feast of St. Nicholas, the nameday of Haydn’s employer, Prince Nicolaus Esterhazy, on December 6th 1772. This piece is energetic, tuneful, joyous Haydn!

Vocalis will also sing unaccompanied motets and partsongs by Brahms Geistliches lied, Bruckner Christus Factus Est, Locus Iste and Os Justi and Clara Schumann Abendfeier and Gondoliera

To complete the programme the Dales Ensemble string quartet will play Sonatas II, V and VI from The Seven Last Words of Christ by Haydn, and Tim Harper will perform the Largo-Allegro from Piano Sonata No. 17 in D minor by Beethoven.

Refreshments will be available during the interval.