The St Endellion Music Festivals take place at Easter and in the summer each year, bringing together a wide range of musicians from all over the world to perform opera, choral, orchestral, chamber and recital concerts in the inspiring and intimate atmosphere of the Collegiate Church of St Endellion, North Cornwall.
https://endellionfestivals.org.uk
We are delighted to present an exciting programme for our 52nd Easter Festival:
- The Festival opens with our Come & Sing on Saturday 12th April, directed by Oliver Tarney and featuring a selection of choruses from Mendelssohn’s Elijah. Open to all, 10am – 3pm, with a free performance at 2pm.
- Choral Evensong is at 4.30 pm on Palm Sunday 13 April 2025, featuring music by Annabel Rooney and Orlando Gibbons.
- At 7.30 on Palm Sunday, at St Minver, Paul Fiddes’ and the North Cornwall Cluster of Churches present Facing the Storm with Love: A Liturgy – based on Shakespeare’s Play, The Tempest, with new music and poetry performed by the poet Christopher Southgate.
- The Easter Festival’s Opening Concert is on Monday 14th April 2025 at 7:30pm. Beethoven’s 1st Symphony is conducted by Daniel Hogan, preceded by two beautiful works of Bach; Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 and Jesu, meine Freude, featuring the full chorus.
- In Tuesday 15 April’s chamber concert we are thrilled to present a programme of Lieder featuring internationally renowned performers Rachel Nicholls (soprano) and Michael Dussek (piano), and Kerenza Peacock performing Clara Schumann. Robert Schumann’s pioneering and exciting Piano Quintet follows in the second half.
A late-night Organ recital then follows in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the St Endellion Goetze and Gwynn organ, also incorporating harpsichord and chamber organ and performed by Robert Quinney, Nigel Spooner and Jamal Sutton.
- The Festival Chorus and Orchestra feature in Wednesday 16th April’s concert. Shostakovich’s exhilarating 9th Symphony is preceded by an exquisite selection of works for chorus and brass by Gesualdo, Bruckner and Stravinsky, curated and directed by Harry Bradford. This forms part of our Lamentations series which runs through the concerts on Wednesday and Thursday, finishing with the Tenebrae Service on Good Friday.
- On Maundy Thursday 17 April we are at St Kew for a lunchtime concert, curated and directed by distinguished violinist Paul Barritt; including works by Mozart, Schumann, Rebecca Clarke and Ernö Dohnányi.
- That evening at 5.30pm we are back at St Endellion, to continue our Lamentations series. Exploring themes of grief, loss and suffering as reflected in the Lamentations of Jeremiah the Prophet, this programme features laments through the ages – including works by Zelenka, Schubert, Bridge and featuring the world premiere of a new piece commissioned by the Easter Festival from our 2025 Composition Competition winner, Anita Mawhinney.
- On Good Friday 18 April, we perform Dvořák’s Stabat Mater, a beautiful and moving sacred oratorio to the text of a medieval devotional poem, depicting the suffering of the Virgin Mary at the foot of the cross. Soloists include Rachel Nicholls (soprano), Claire Sutton-Williams (mezzo), Peter Hoare (tenor) and Julian Close (bass). Conducted by Harry Sever and led by Paul Barritt.
- The Friday concert is followed by a short Tenebrae service containing Responses and Lamentations for Holy Saturday, open to all who wish to attend, and concluding our Lamentations series.
- Saturday 19th April’s Chamber Concert showcases a varied selection of works for more unusual instrumental combinations. Featuring works composed in the 1920s from all over the world, this concert tours the diversity of musical styles during that roaring, tumultuous decade.
- The Easter Sunday Eucharist service at 11am features the full Festival Chorus and we conclude this year’s Festival with the exuberant, joyful Easter Oratorio by J.S. Bach, in a concert commencing at 4pm. We are privileged to present an outstanding cast of soloists; Rachel Nicholls (soprano), James Hall (counter-tenor), Gwilym Bowen (tenor) and Julian Close (bass). Conducted by Harry Sever and led by Kerenza Peacock.
Click here to view and download a detailed Festival brochure. You can secure your place by clicking HERE to book tickets online in advance
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