Monteverdi's Vespers | Salisbury Cathedral Choir / Florilegium

Claudio Monteverdi's masterpiece, the Vespers of the Blessed Virgin Mary, was completed in 1610. It is an ambitious work of around 90 minutes and scored for soloists, choirs and orchestra. It calls on a variety of musical styles, almost as if the composer was trying to showcase the full range of his capabilities.

The sheer variety of the 13 movements lend themselves to exciting possibilities in performance. For this concert, the period orchestra Florilegium will be working with no fewer than four choirs and eight soloists. The Salisbury Musical Society and the St John Singers will form the main choir at the Spire crossing while the Farrant Singers and Salisbury Cathedral Choir will process around the building, performing in different spaces. Some of the soloists and even a few instrumentalists will also be on the move.

The effect of this will be truly spectacular and will be a tremendous experience for the performers and the audience.