A CELEBRATION OF SONG IN THE BEAUTIFUL SETTING OF ST WULFRAM’S

Grantham Choral Society has achieved high standards under its Musical Director,
David Humphreys. These will be on display again on May 9 in their summer concert
in St Wulfram’s Church, for which David has selected a trio of eighteenth century
choral works.

The centrepiece is one of Joseph Haydn’s masterpieces, the famous “Nelson Mass”.
It was written in 1798 during the final stages of the Napoleonic Wars. Haydn’s world
was in turmoil with Napoleon’s armies achieving major victories against the
Austrians. So he subtitled the work a “Mass for troubled times” (Missa in angustiis),
which makes it feel especially relevant in 2026.

Michael Haydn was Joseph’s younger and often overlooked brother, yet was a
prolific and accomplished composer in his own right. The choir will showcase his
work with the beautiful Dixit Dominus, a setting of Psalm 110.

Zadok the Priest needs little introduction. Handel wrote it for the coronation of
George II in 1727, and it has been sung at the coronation of every British monarch
since and is a firm favourite in the choral repertoire.

The programme is completed by Mozart’s Exsultate Jubilate, a perennially popular
work for orchestra and voices.

The choir will be accompanied by four talented soloists studying at the Royal College
of Music and by the award winning East-Midlands based Helix Ensemble.

So why not come along to this celebration of song in the beautiful setting of St
Wulfram’s Church? It’s at 7.30pm on Saturday May 9, 2026. Tickets are available
from the Guildhall Box Office, via Ticketline, or from members of Grantham Choral.