Forthcoming Concert
'Like Snow in a Dark Night'
7.30pm, Saturday 29th November 2025
St Mary's Church, Bathwick, Bath, BA2 4EB
Like Snow in a Dark Night is an antidote to the oncoming chill of winter. It centres around two staples of the chamber choir repertoire: Morten Lauridsen’s powerful Mid-Winter Songs and Frank Martin’s exquisite Mass for Double Choir. Lauridsen’s extrovert, intense choral cycle explores the range of emotions in texts by Robert Graves, where winter is combatant and comfort in equal parts. In contrast, Martin’s Mass for Double Choir is monumental in scope yet intimate in character. Martin considered it to be “something between [him] and God” and waited forty years after composing it before he allowed it to be performed. It remains a centrepiece of 20th-century choral music.
The programme also features works by:
Morten Lauridsen | O love, be fed with apples
Pierre Villette | Hymne à la Vierge
Jamie Hamilton | Gloria
Benjamin Britten | A Hymn to the Virgin
Vicente Chavarría |Ther is no rose of swych vertu
We’d love to see you there!
About The Handful
" I found myself transfixed by the sheer beauty of their singing and the depth of their understanding"
One of Bath’s most respected chamber choirs, The Handful has been performing in and around Bath since its inception in 2002. The Handful embraces a wide repertoire of music, classical and contemporary, and enjoys an enviable reputation for high quality, vibrant performances.
Review
David Roberts - December 2024
Review of Handful Chamber Choir Concert
In Terra Pax
Christ Church, Julian Road, Bath
Saturday 7th December 2024
“A breath-taking performance from Bath’s leading chamber choir.”
The Handful echoed the warmth of winter with ‘In Terra Pax’ at their Christ Church debut. This breath-taking performance, from Bath’s leading chamber choir, proved to be a highlight of the season. The impressive programming of music demonstrated the exceptional and diverse abilities of the choir, its singers and conductor. Musical Director Vicente Chavarria complemented the music with thoughtful and contextual interjections that informed and interacted with the audience. Peter King accompanied the choir sensitively demonstrating the sonorous colours of the organ in perfect harmony with his absolute versatility. The choir were joined by soprano Josephine Goddard whose soaring voice of sublime purity resonated throughout the church. Dominic Felts’ silky tone depicted lustrous and perfectly formed vowels capped with delicate consonants.
Throughout the concert, The Handful seamlessly transitioned from Pearsall to Poulenc, showcasing multifarious rhythms and textural heterogeneity with intricate and dynamic contrast. The tangible and certain harmonies oscillated around the room, touching your heart, and stirring your soul. A fundamental empathy of intonation was revealed by soloists from within the choir, whose exemplary competence embodied the essence of lyricism. A myriad of choruses embarked the audience on a romantic journey from The Christ Child to a quintessential English scene, concluding with a ‘Party in Paris.’ This glorious evening of music voyaged from country to country, painting a beautiful and evocative evening where time stood still.
David Roberts
