Haydn: Nelson Mass
Saturday 1st November 6:00pm
The Symbel Choir perform Haydn's Nelson Mass
The Missa in angustiis (Mass for troubled times), commonly known as
the Nelson Mass, is one of the six masses written near the end of his life
that are seen as a culmination of Haydn's composition of liturgical music.
Though Haydn's reputation was at its peak in 1798, his world was in turmoil.
French forces under Napoleon had won four major battles against the Austrian
army in less than a year.
The summer of 1798 was therefore a terrifying time for Austria, and when Haydn
finished this mass.
What Haydn did not know when he wrote the mass, but what he and his audience
heard (perhaps on September 15th, the day of the very first performance),
was that on 1st August, the French Navy had been dealt a crushing defeat
at the Battle of the Nile by a British fleet under Rear-Admiral Horatio Nelson.
Because of this coincidence, the mass gradually acquired the nickname Nelson Mass.
The title became indelible when, in 1800, Nelson himself visited the Palais Esterházy
and may have heard the mass conducted by Haydn whom he would meet shortly afterwards.
"We are a choir based in London, primarily made up of recent graduates.
Under the musical direction of Anthony Chater, we are delighted to be
in residence monthly at St Peter’s, Belsize Park and St Barnabas, Pimlico.
We also sing at several churches in central London on an ad hoc basis,
including The Charterhouse and Holy Trinity, Sloane Square.
Our name comes from Old English and translates roughly as
‘feast, banquet, social gathering’.
This celebrates the sense of belonging and togetherness fostered by
collective music making.
We hope our singing is a feast for your ears, and we can often be found
at the nearest pub or green space after rehearsals."
Admission by donation
Refreshments avaialable after the concert