Salisbury Chamber Chorus: Beethoven Missa Solemnis

Salisbury Chamber Chorus are performing Beethoven's Missa Solemnis at St Thomas's Church on Saturday 7 November, with the Nova Foresta Philharmonic on orchestral duties. It's a big piece of music for a Saturday night in the city, and one that takes a fair bit of ground to cover.

Beethoven himself regarded the Missa Solemnis as his greatest composition, and you can hear why. It builds on the traditions of Bach's B minor mass, Handel's oratorios, and the Viennese mass settings of Haydn and Mozart, but it does so on a scale that none of them ever reached. It's a massive work, and having a full orchestra behind the choir gives it the weight it needs to stand up.

The chorus describes itself as 'the small choir with a big sound', a chamber ensemble that puts on three concerts a year. Their repertoire is wide, running from opera to classical and popular music, so this sits right in their wheelhouse. This performance also marks a bit of a turning point for the group: Simon McEnery has led them for fifteen years and is now stepping down as Musical Director. In his place, they've named the opera singer Rosalind Plowright, OBE, as their new patron. She was honoured in 2007 and is celebrated for her portrayals of Verdi and Puccini heroines, so she's a fitting name to have attached to the choir.

It starts at 7.30pm at St Thomas's Church in St Thomas's Square, Salisbury, SP1 1BA. Tickets are £25, and under-18s go in for free.