Gloria!

The Royal Choral Society performed two of the best-loved but widely-differing Glorias in the choral repertoire in a concert that turned out to be a perfectly indulgent summer treat.

Vivaldi’s ever-popular Gloria, thought to have been written in about 1715, is a vibrant and uplifting work that showcases the composer’s mastery of melody and rhythm. It combines vibrant choruses with more impassioned sections, typical of the late renaissance and early baroque and looking ahead to the music of Bach and Handel.

Poulenc’s Gloria is a 20th-century work of rich and close harmonies and soaring melodies that blend the sacred with the secular. Poulenc’s distinctive, lush style combines rhythmic vitality and intricate choral textures to create a work that is spiritual and profoundly human.

Between these choral gems was a performance by organist Richard Pearce of the ninth movement of Messiaen’s monumental masterpiece La Nativité du Seigneur – Dieu parmi nous (God Among Us).

Tickets £10 (includes a glass of wine/soft drink)
via tickets@royalchoralsociety.co.uk