Prokofiev Alexander Nevsky/Crouch End Festival Chorus

Crouch End Festival Chorus presents three major works in dramatically contrasting moods and styles.

Lost for two centuries before its happy rediscovery in the late 1920s, Vivaldi’s Gloria is now one of the best-loved choral works from the Baroque period. A supreme lightness of touch and vocal agility are required to evoke its atmosphere of joy and wonder.

Holst’s Hymn of Jesus takes its text from the apocryphal Acts of St John and was lauded for its originality at its first performance in 1920. This mystical choral setting demands the pure, ethereal tones typical of the English choral tradition.

The final work, Prokofiev’s cantata Alexander Nevsky, was adapted from the composer’s score for Eisenstein’s film of the same name. The dark subject matter of this war drama is reflected in the rich, sombre tones of the singing and the spectacular writing for orchestra.

To present this diverse and challenging programme, CEFC is joined by the versatile and accomplished London Orchestra da Camera and two superb soloists, Jessica Cale (soprano) and Kitty Whately (mezzo-soprano), conducted by David Temple. Finchley Children’s Music Group and the choir of City of London School for Girls feature in the Hymn of Jesus.