Concert by The Lay Vicars of Salisbury Cathedral of Benjamin Britten's Canticle II 'Abraham and Isaac' with works by his contemporaries.
The Lay Vicars of Salisbury Cathedral are taking over the nave on Saturday 21 November, with a late-night concert built around Benjamin Britten. The main event is Canticle II: Abraham and Isaac, Op. 51, one of Britten's most compelling vocal works. It's written for alto, tenor and piano, and it draws on the medieval Chester Mystery Plays. The two voices take on multiple roles to retell the story with a striking directness and emotional depth, and it remains one of his most distinctive settings of a biblical text. The Lay Vicars will pair it with pieces by some of Britten's contemporaries, placing it within the wider musical landscape of twentieth-century Britain.
It's not a standalone night, either. The concert forms part of a weekend at Salisbury Cathedral marking the 50th anniversary of Britten's death in 2026. That continues on Sunday 22 November with Choral Evensong, when Britten's Hymn to St Cecilia is sung on the Feast of St Cecilia — which also happens to be the composer's birthday. If you're into Britten, it's a good excuse to make a proper weekend of it.
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The concert runs from 7:30pm to 9:00pm at the Cathedral, 33 The Close, Salisbury, SP1 2EJ. Tickets are £15 for adults, £5 for children and young people, and £5 for students.
