Mozart in Beccles
Beccles Choral Society, Kingfisher Sinfonietta and four professional soloists are joining forces to present an evening devoted to the music of Mozart at St Michael’s Church, Beccles on Saturday 17th May at 7pm.
260 years after the the eight-year-old Mozart visited London with his father and sister, the three works to be performed are the Ave Verum Corpus, the Vesperae Solennes de Confessore (Solemn Vespers for a Confessor) and the Requiem in D Minor. It is not known if the Mozart family visited Beccles during their time in England, but if they did they would surely have visited the town’s wonderful church and admired its acoustic!
The Ave Verum is a beautiful and peaceful motet for choir and strings. Written only six months before his death, Mozart called it his “little funeral motet” and it is one of the most loved jewels of the choral repertoire.
In contrast, the Vespers is a choral masterpiece intended for the special celebration of an undisclosed saint’s day (the “confessor” of the title). It includes brilliant Allegros, a final dazzling “Magnificat” and a luscious “Laudate Dominum” for soprano and chorus which is beautiful enough for a place in any of the great composer’s operas.
Finally, the Requiem is considered to be the most profound music that Mozart ever wrote and the pinnacle of his emotional genius. Beccles Choral Society has sung this seven times since 1953, but it has not been performed live in Beccles since 2015.
Tickets £20 (under 16s free) from Marion Fox 07586 959326, ticketsbeccleschoral@gmail.com or Beccles Books.