The Heart Starts Singing
Sat, 19 Mar 2022
Usher in the changing seasons with the Reading Bach Choir's first concert under new musical director Daniel Mahoney. Drawing upon the choir's rich tradition of juxtaposing old and new, this concert brings together works from the Welsh composer Thomas Tomkins to a UK premiere. One of two Bach motets on the programme, the jubilant Lobet den Herrn revels in the celebration of the coming spring and the Baroque master's birthday, as well as a new chapter in the choir's story.
The expansive and the swallow highlights why Caroline Shaw was the youngest ever recipient of the esteemed Pulitzer prize for music. Two pieces by acclaimed Indian-American composer Reena Esmail savour in the sensual and spiritual poetry of Hafiz.
Henry Purcell's beloved Funeral Sentences, central to the music for the funeral of Queen Mary, serve as a timely tribute to those who have left us during these difficult past two years.
Los Angeles based Filipino composer Saunder Choi's Can You Hear Me? receives its UK premiere. This companion to the final piece on the programme asks us to recognise and acknowledge others' points of view while Bach's Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied rouses the heart to sing and dance in celebration and praise.
