Please note - Tickets for this concert are on a pre-reservation basis, no payment is required at the time of making the reservation. Friends and non-Friends are able to reserve tickets. Friends who make a reservation up to 2 months before the concert date will receive priority when seating is allocated for this concert. Priority Booking closes 13th April 2026
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Programme Highlights
The June concert invites listeners into a world of serenity, beauty and spiritual reflection. Under the batons of Adrian Butterfield and Robert Lewis, the award-winning choir Excelsis and Friends of the acclaimed London Handel Players unite for a programme celebrating the richness of the French sacred tradition.
Founded in 2007, Excelsis has become one of southern England's finest chamber choirs. Praised by BBC Radio 3 for its "beautifully balanced and emotionally intelligent" sound, the ensemble was a BBC Choir of the Year Finalist and has appeared at the Royal Albert Hall, St Martin-in-the-Fields and Guildford Cathedral.
They are joined by the Friends of London Handel Players, an internationally recognised ensemble whose performances at the BBC Proms, Wigmore Hall and leading European festivals are noted for their "stylish, supple and technically assured" playing (The Guardian). Violinist and director Adrian Butterfield, a founding artistic director of the London Handel Festival, is renowned for interpretations that combine scholarship with vivid expression, while Robert Lewis brings deep insight as conductor and renowned choral trainer.
The programme comprises a selection of French fancies - including
Fauré Cantique de Jean Racine, Op. 11A
A serene choral masterpiece, setting Racine's devotional text to music of ethereal beauty.
Saint-Saëns Ave Maria, Op. 145
An exquisite setting for choir and orchestra, blending gentle reverence with French lyricism.
César Franck Panis Angelicus
A much-loved sacred song, performed by soloist and ensemble, expressing spiritual longing and peace.
Langlais Messe Solennelle
Selections from this dramatic and joyful mass, showcasing the grandeur of French choral tradition.
Fauré Pavane, Op. 50 (Orchestral Interlude)
An elegant and wistful piece, offering a moment of orchestral reflection.
Duruflé's Requiem
Completed in 1947, stands as one of the most serene and consoling settings of the Mass for the Dead. Blending the timeless beauty of Gregorian chant with his own rich harmonic language, Duruflé creates music of deep spiritual intimacy and radiant peace. From the tender opening Kyrie to the ethereal In Paradisum, the work offers a journey from sorrow to transcendence - music that soothes the spirit and uplifts the soul.
A concert of reflection, serenity and joy, In Paradisum offers audiences a rare opportunity to experience the meditative beauty of French sacred music performed by musicians of the highest calibre.
