From Rameau to Rutter via Rossini : Ashtead Choral Society

Our Spring concert features the Requiem by contemporary British composer and conductor, John Rutter. Rutter is a composer of instantly memorable tunes, and nowhere is this more evident than his glorious Requiem. Composed in 1985, the work is characterised by its simplicity, brevity and rich choral writing. This seven-movement Requiem is traditional in its inspiration, using texts from the Requiem Mass and the Book of Common Prayer. The gloriously pure Pie Jesu is a real highlight – as is the Requiem Aeternam, which opens the work. Performed regularly all over the world, Rutter’s Requiem is one of the most popular compositions of the last thirty years.

As a nod to Ashtead Choral Society’s tour of Umbria in Italy in May, our Spring concert also features a selection of European harmonies from composers Jean-Philippe Rameau, Gioachino Rossini, Henryk Gorecki and Gabriel Fauré.