Rutter: Magnificat; Vaughan Williams: Benedicite; Grieg: Holberg Suite
This 52nd Season of Danesborough Chorus also marks the 50th Anniversary of Ian Smith as our Musical Director. Join us on Sunday 22 November 2026, 7.00 pm at the Church of Christ the Cornerstone, Milton Keynes.
The concert features John Rutter’s Magnificat, Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Benedicite and Edvard Grieg’s Holberg Suite, conducted by Ian, accompanied by Alina Orchestra, with soprano soloist Isabella Hulbert.
Rutter’s Magnificat was an immediate success when premièred in May 1990 in Carnegie Hall. Full of memorable melodies, the work captures many moods from the joyful opening setting of the word ‘Magnificat’, through the calm reflective setting of an English poem ‘Of a Rose’, to the triumphant final ‘Gloria’.
Vaughan Williams’ Benedicite is one of three works specifically composed for the then Leith Hill Musical Competition (now the Leith Hill Musical Festival) and first performed in Dorking in 1930. It is a short and vibrant sacred choral work.
Grieg’s Holberg Suite was completed in 1884 to celebrate the 200th birthday of the famous Danish–Norwegian literary figure, Ludvig Holberg. Originally written for piano, Grieg went on to transcribe the suite for string orchestra the following year and set it in what is now its most popular arrangement. The prelude in particular is well known.
Tickets (all unreserved): £25 (ground floor), £15 (balcony, some restricted viewing), and £5 for students, are now available online at https://wegottickets.com/f/21555 or by phoning Lynne on 01908 386796.