Lamentations | Welsh Camerata Choir

The Lamentations of Jeremiah form part of the Church's Tenebrae ritual. Held in the last three days of Holy Week, Christian worship traditionally reaches its point of deepest despair at the approaching commemoration of the Crucifixion, and the music composed for the occasion reflects that. But comfort yourself with the realisation that the text, lamenting Israel's banishment from Jerusalem, really did bring out the very best in composers.

The Welsh Camerata choir performs a selection of Lamentations settings, written between the 15th and 18th centuries, for their Lenten concerts this year. They range from the well-known (Tallis, Couperin) to the unjustly neglected (Antoine Brumel, Francesc Valls, Osbert Parsley, Robert White), from solo voice to eight-part choir.

Whilst the overall mood of the season is solemn, the emotions portrayed through the music range between contemplative to ecstatic. Remember to bring a hanky.