Voices of Today

Hallam Choral Society are thrilled to bring you the Sheffield premiere of Matthew Coleridge’s Requiem as the highlight of their autumn programme of contemporary choral music.

Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, this wonderful work in seven movements packs countless soaring melodies, lush harmonies and thrilling climaxes into just half an hour of music. It has established itself at the core of the UK choral concert repertoire, and is regularly voted into the upper reaches of Classic FM’s Hall of Fame.

Hallam Choral Society will be accompanied by a string quintet from the West Riding Ensemble and Martin Thistleton on the wonderful St Mark’s organ. West Riding Ensemble will also add a contrast to the otherwise contemporary programme for this concert with some Haydn chamber music.

A second premiere of the evening will be a piece commissioned for Hallam Choral by Joseph Shaw entitled Blood Red. Joseph is a young British composer with exciting, widely performed, works in the UK and beyond.

And the evening's programme is beautifully complemented with performances of Density of Light by Sarah Quartel “sweeping, charming melodies supported by a fresh harmonic language”, and A Farewell by Elaine Hagenberg, “lyrical lines, lush harmonies and gentle dissonances”.