Few composers capture the spirit of devotion and celebration like Vivaldi and Bach. In this programme, we bring together their distinct yet complementary voices—Vivaldi’s Gloria, bursting with vibrant colour and radiant joy, and Bach’s Missa Brevis in A Major, a work of grace and refined beauty. With our friends from Opus Orchestra joining us, this performance will illuminate the timeless brilliance of these two Baroque giants.

Vivaldi may be best known today for The Four Seasons, but his sacred choral works are equally thrilling, and his Gloria in D Major, RV 589 remains one of the most celebrated of them all. Written around 1715 for the Ospedale della Pietà, a Venetian institution that provided musical training for girls, this joyous and uplifting work reflects both the virtuosity of the performers for whom it was composed and Vivaldi’s own genius for melody and drama.

Among JS Bach’s many sacred works, the Missa Brevis in A Major, BWV 234 is a true gem. One of four short masses he composed, it is a work of grace and elegance, filled with luminous textures and intricate vocal lines. Unlike some of his more monumental choral pieces, this setting is refreshingly concise, yet no less rich in detail. The inclusion of two flutes—a rare feature in his masses—adds a distinctive pastoral quality, evoking images of shepherds’ flutes on a quiet hillside.