Rossini: Petite messe solonelle - Rossini composed the Petite messe solennelle in 1863, 34 years after his last opera and only 5 years before his death. The mass is structured in several extended movements in the tradition of the missa solemnis, but the composer ironically labelled it petite. On the last page of the manuscript he wrote: "Dear Lord, here it is finished, this poor little mass. Have I just written sacred music, or rather, sacrilegious music? I was born for opera buffa, as you well know. Not much technique, a little bit of heart, that’s all. Blessings to you and grant me Paradise."
The unusual scoring for voices, two pianos and harmonium is in the Neapolitan harpsichord tradition of the 18th century. Rossini specified that “only twelve singers in all, of three sexes, men, women and castrati would suffice, eight for the choir, four soloists, in all twelve cherubim". Fortunately, our musical director has allowed rather more of us to sing and with no surgery required.
Elgar: From the Bavarian highlands - This set of six choral songs is a complete contrast to the Rossini. Elgar wrote them as a remembrance of a holiday the Elgars had enjoyed in Upper Bavaria, mostly at Garmisch, in the autumn of 1894.The lyrics were adapted for Elgar's music by his wife Alice from Bavarian folk songs and invoke the spirit of folk dances. It was dedicated to the proprietors of the Garmisch pension where the Elgars had stayed.