Lent-induced withdrawal symptoms? Fill your soul with music at York Minster
With many people having given up luxuries such as chocolates and biscuits for Lent, York Minster is promising the perfect distraction for any cravings, with a programme of music leading up to Easter which will fill the soul and nourish the spirit.
The musical programme has been designed with concerts from some of York’s most talented groups and choirs, with performances leading up to Holy Week when daily Evensong will be sung by the York Minster Choir every day from Palm Sunday through to Easter Sunday (13-20 April).
The programme launches with St Peter’s School Choral and Orchestral Concert on 27 March, which will see pupils fill York Minster with vocal and instrumental melodies. The concert includes ‘Eternal Light’, a requiem by composer Howard Goodall whose music is frequently heard at the start of TV shows including The Vicar of Dibley and QI. The concert starts at 7.00pm, with tickets priced from £6 to £12.
Handel’s Messiah will be performed by York Musical Society on 29 March at 7.30pm, with the stunning work reverberating around the Nave. Soloists will include Philippa Boyle, Daniela Thomas, Jason Darnell and Eamonn Dougan for one of the world’s most popular choral pieces. Tickets are priced from £12 to £20.
A 21st century setting of the Passion story will receive its northern premiere when the St John Passion by Bob Chilcott is performed by the Chapter House Choir in York Minster’s Quire on 5 April at 7.30pm. The choir will be joined by soloists and special guests for the hymns that intersperse the Passion story, with the role of Evangelist performed by Christopher O’Gorman and Jesus sung by Chris Thornton-Holmes. Tickets are priced from £13.50 to £15.00.
The final concert in the Easter season is an unusual and atmospheric performance within the Chapter House, performed by the Ebor Singers. Reflecting the darkness of Christ’s crucifixion before He rose again, ‘Into Darkness’ commences in candlelight and progresses into darkness in a unique auditory experience. The music being performed is some of the most powerful and poignant from Brahms, Victoria and Lotti, along with James MacMillan’s stunning Miserere and Whitacre’s Sleep. The concert takes place on 11 April at 7.30pm, with tickets priced from £10 to £12.
“These concerts reflect the importance of Easter as the greatest festival within the church calendar, and provide a wonderful introduction to Holy Week – a time for reflection,” comments York Minster Director of Music, Robert Sharpe. “York Minster is the only cathedral in the UK to host sung Evensong every day within Holy Week, performed by our own Minster Choir, and we would encourage people to come and share this time of contemplation with us as we prepare for the rebirth of the world on Easter Sunday.”
Tickets for all of the concerts can be purchased online from www.yorkminster.org or by calling the Box Office on 01904 557208. No tickets are required for any services, although visitors are advised to arrive early as the services can get very busy. Evensong services start at 5.15pm each day (4pm on Sundays).
For more details, please visit www.yorkminster.org
ENDS
For further media information, please contact:
Jay Commins or Samantha Orange
Pyper York Limited
Tel: 01904 500698 / 07810 546567
Email: jay@pyperyork.co.uk or sam@pyperyork.co.uk
