Choral Masterpieces
in Malmesbury Abbey

Saturday,
12^th May 2007 

This concert was a ‘thank you’ to our wonderful and supportive patrons. They enjoyed a beautiful summer evening in the stunning setting of Malmesbury’s 12th century Abbey. The sun threw its last rays through the vast west-facing window, bathing the Cotswold-stone with a warm glowing light. The programme followed suit, with the choir opening with the English composer Thomas Tallis, then performing Bach’s O Jesu Christ meins lebens licht, before attempting to capture the ‘holy light’ Bruckner endeavoured to reflect in his music.
The evening was a quiet celebration of the sacred and sublime by composers that spanned five centuries and as many countries.

Programme
Thomas Tallis (c.1506-85)	In manus Tuas
J S Bach (1685-1750)	O Jesu Christ mein's Lebens Licht
Anton Bruckner (1834-96)	Locus iste Os justi
J S Bach	Fantasia & Fugue in G minor (Nigel Nash, organ)
S Rachmaninov (1873-1943)	Priiditye pokhlonimsya (Vespers op.37, no.1) Blazhen muzh (Vespers no.3)
Anton Arensky (1861-1906)	Otche nash (Lord's Prayer)
P Tchaikovsky (1840-93)	Dostoino yest
Interval
Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924)	Cantique de Jean Racine
A Lotti (c.1667-1740)	Crucifixus
W A Mozart (1756-91)	Ave verum corpus
Marcel Dupré (1886-1971)	Prelude & Fugue in B major Op 7 (Nigel Nash, organ)
Thomas Tallis	O sacrum convivium O nata lux
Malcolm Archer (b.1952)	Creator of the stars of night
Arvo Pärt (b.1935)	Bogoroditsye Dyevo (Ave Maria)