A new setting of a ninth-century Gregorian Mass, Schola Missa de Angelis, will be performed in a major concert in Liverpool next month. The piece, written by the widely acclaimed Polish-British Catholic composer, Roxanna Panufnik, is the first new plainsong Mass setting of note for nearly fifty years.
The Mass will be sung by the combined choirs of Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral and Liverpool Anglican Cathedral, forming a 100-strong choir for this special performance. The concert will be take place in the grand setting of Liverpool Cathedral, with its extraordinary acoustic, on the evening of Friday 7th June. Also in the programme will be a wide range of works for choir and strings by Henry Purcell, including a Latin setting.
Panufnik is known for her unique style, combining tradition, passion and spiritual sensitivity. Among her most frequently performed works is the Westminster Mass, commissioned on the occasion of Cardinal Hume’s 75th birthday. The composer will be in Liverpool for this, the first performance of the Schola Missa de Angelis in the north of England.
Christians across the North West understand the importance of the living tradition of English liturgical music, and have great affection for it. This unique performance, featuring two of the greatest cathedral choirs in the country, is sure to be a memorable occasion