Next Concert - Saturday 24 June 2023

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Celebrate with The Handful at their special 20th anniversary concert!  

To mark the occasion, the choir is showcasing a new commission alongside a selection of their favourite pieces from the past two decades. 

At the core of the programme are two works which embrace vivid storytelling.  Stargazer by Alec Roth comprises four, close harmony partsongs with a charming narrative based loosely on the theme of watching stars.  Eric Whitacre’s Five Hebrew Love Songs features the composer’s renowned spine-tingling harmonies in a personal work about romantic love and friendship.  For this celebration, The Handful is delighted to be joined by two local musicians,  pianist Jamie Hamilton and violinist Sara Stagg.

As well as reliving their most-loved musical moments, the choir is also looking to the future with a world premiere of their new commission.  The piece, titled This Union, has been written by award-winning composer Kerensa Briggs using text by Hafez, a 14th century Persian poet.  Kerensa’s music has been performed internationally at venues including St Paul’s Cathedral and the Sistine Chapel, and is regularly broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM.

Other repertoire includes: 

Rani Arbo | Crossing the Bar - Samuel Barber | Sure on this Shining Night

Amy Beach | Over Hill, Over Dale - Maurice Duruflé | Ubi Caritas 

Ēriks Ešenvalds | Long Road - Gabriel Fauré | Madrigal

Ola Gjeilo | Northern Lights - Andrzej Hakenberger | Exsultate Justi in Domino

arr. Moses Hogan | Ev’ry Time I Feel the Spirit - Morten Lauridsen | O Magnum Mysterium

Arvo Pärt | Which was the Son of… - Camille Saint-Saëns | Les Fleurs et Les Arbres

Frank Ticheli | Earth Song

The concert will take place at St Mary the Virgin, Bathwick BA2 4EB on Saturday 24 June, 2023 and tickets are available from Bath Box Office.