Finzi Anniversary Gala: Orchestral and Choral Celebration

Robert Plane (clarinet)
The Temple Singers
Sinfonia Smith Square
Thomas Allery (conductor)The culmination of a special anniversary gala celebrating the life and music of Gerald Finzi, this evening concert marks the 125th anniversary of the composer's birth and the 70th anniversary of his death. Presented in association with the Finzi Trust, it brings together some of Finzi's finest orchestral and choral works in the setting of Temple Church.The programme opens with the lyrical Romance for string orchestra, followed by the Clarinet Concerto, one of Finzi's final compositions, performed by Robert Plane with Sinfonia Smith Square.Following the interval, The Temple Singers and Sinfonia Smith Square present three of Finzi's most admired choral works. The programme concludes with Lo, the Full, Final Sacrifice, the expansive festival anthem composed in 1946 for the 53rd anniversary of the consecration of St Matthew's Church, Northampton, a work that stands among the composer's greatest achievements in sacred music.ProgrammeGerald Finzi (1901-1956)Romance, Op. 11
Clarinet Concerto, Op. 31
Magnificat, Op. 36
For St Cecilia, Op. 30
Lo, the Full, Final Sacrifice, Op. 26