A mass, a requiem, and four anthems form this expressive and broadranging a cappella programme, spanning five centuries of religious texts and composition, Catholic and Anglican. Many of the works were written in response to a real-world event, including James MacMillan’s A Child’s Prayer, which gives this concert its title, dedicated to the children who died in Dunblane in 1996.
The earliest work featured, William Byrd’s exquisite Mass for Four Voices, is considered one of the English sixteenth century’s crowning musical achievements for its terse expressivity. Contrast this with the deeply personal and unusual Howell’s Requiem, written following the death of his son in 1935, and Tavener’s miniature gem The Lamb, dedicated to his nephew’s third birthday, mix well with Gorecki’s sonorous double-choir motet written for Pope John Paul II, Totus Tuus, and Purcell’s pleading anthem Remember not, Lord, written for the choir of Westminster Abbey, and you have the perfect recipe for a fascinating, intimate and emotional programme.
The Handful has enjoyed an enviable reputation as one of the most exciting, vibrant and adventurous chamber choirs in and around Bath. Founded in 2002 as ‘A Handful of Singers’, the choir started out as a small group of experienced singers. Since then the choir has grown both in size (to 26 singers) and in stature. Now with Tomos Watkins at the helm The Handful has entered a new phase as a forward-looking choir, always enthralling audiences with its fine sound and imaginative programming, and always seeking to leave them captivated.
“A masterclass in purity of tone and musical understanding”