Monteverdi's Vespers

The Chandos Chamber Choir is delighted to be joined by the world-renowned pioneering historic brass ensemble His Majestys Sagbutts and Cornetts to present the beautiful choral masterpiece, Monteverdi's Vespers.

Vespers for the Blessed Virgin, to give it its full title, was originally conceived by Monteverdi as a collection of liturgical works to be used for the evening service of vespers, which were sung in celebration of the Virgin Mary.

The Vespers were written in 1610, and it is unlikely Monteverdi viewed them as a single continuous work. But following the first commercial recording of the Vespers in 1953, this renaissance gem has been recognised as one of the most ambitious choral works written before Bach and is one of the more challenging pieces to perform in the choral repertoire.

It is rarely performed by choirs, perhaps due to the unusually large number of tenor parts in Nisi Dominus, so this is a wonderful opportunity to hear the work performed by one of London’s most ambitious amateur choirs accompanied by the period instruments of His Majestys Sagbutts and Cornetts.