Brahms Requiem
with songs by Bruckner, Brahms and Mendelssohn
Consoling music for the human spirit
April 3 @ 7:00 pm – 8:45 pm
Join us for a live performance of Brahms’ beloved choral masterpiece, the German Requiem, in the glorious setting of Leeds Minster.
Unlike a traditional Catholic Mass for the dead, this “Human Requiem” was written to comfort the living, giving voice to profound sadness, radiant hope, and ultimate peace.
Let the sounds of soaring choral voices, the rich colours of the orchestra, and Brahms’ stirring harmonies wash over you for an evening of genuine inspiration and joy.
Tickets are only £20, with FREE admission for children and students. The concert begins at 7.00pm and is expected to conclude at approximately 8:45pm.
“A truly spellbinding & transformative performance from both the orchestra & chorus… It’s rare to be so spiritually uplifted by a single performance.”
St Peter’s Singers are passionate about the music we sing and want to share it with as many people as possible. We will do all we can to make anyone who comes to our concerts feel welcome and at ease. So if you’ve not tried this music out before, why not come along and bring a friend? Leeds Minster is an accessible venue with good facilities. Everyone is welcome. What to expect at a St Peter’s Singers concert.
Programme
| Warum ist das Licht gegeben | Johannes Brahms |
| Geistliches Lied | Johannes Brahms |
| Verleih uns Frieden | Felix Mendelssohn |
| Christus factus est | Anton Bruckner |
Interval
| Ein deutsches Requiem | Johannes Brahms |
Helen Winter soprano
Quentin Brown bass-baritone
St Peter’s Singers
National Festival Orchestra Sally Robinson leader
Alexander Woodrow conductor
About the programme
The German Requiem uses texts from the Lutheran, German-language Bible and, unlike the Catholic Requiem Mass, is not intended for use in Church services. Brahms selected the texts himself, following the death of his mother, and they reflect his humanist outlook while expressing hope in God as the source of consolation. It will be sung in German, with English translations freely available.
We will be using a new and slightly reduced arrangement of the orchestral accompaniment by the brilliant John Longstaff, specially tailored to suit the Minster’s performing space and enabling us to keep ticket prices affordable.
The concert will open with four Motets by Brahms and his contemporaries Bruckner and Mendelssohn which also explore the human condition and the hope to be found in religious faith.
There will be a short interval of ten minutes. The concert will finish at approximately 8.45pm.
Helen Winter, soprano, was born in Grantham into a highly musical family and went on to study at Trinity College of Music, London. Following her studies, she became a member of the BBC Singers, marking the start of a distinguished professional career.
She has a distinguished career in opera, appearing for three seasons at Holland Park Opera, as well as Scottish Opera, European Chamber Opera and the Buxton Festival. Her performances of the Queen of the Night in Mozart’s Magic Flute have led to frequent invitations to perform the role.
Helen’s television and commercial work is wide-ranging, including appearances in numerous advertising campaigns, the ITV series Popstar to Operastar, and a starring role in Cameron Mackintosh’s West End production of The Sound of Music LIVE. She has recorded and released three solo albums.
Quentin Brown, bass-baritone, had the great fortune to be born to keen amateur singers and began his musical life as a boy chorister at Rochester Cathedral, which he describes as a life-changing experience.
After graduating he began a lifelong association with Leeds Minster, singing in both the Choir of Leeds Parish Church (as it then was) and St Peter’s Singers. As a member of the BBC Northern Singers he recorded frequently for BBC Radio 3 and toured abroad.
Quentin has appeared as soloist with many choral societies around the country, singing repertoire from Bach to Vaughan Williams. He took the baritone solos in the first ever recording of William Lloyd Webber’s The Saviour, made by St Peter’s Singers and the Choir of Leeds Minster, and released last year on the Priory label.
Access and Accessibility
Leeds Minster is about 5 minutes walk from Leeds Bus Station, and about 15 minutes walk from Leeds Railway Station. There is on-street parking on the side streets nearby, as well as the NCP Markets carpark (5 minutes) and the John Lewis carpark (10 minutes).
There is ramp access to the main doors beneath the tower, with entrance to the grounds at the West End by the Lamb and Flag pub recommended to avoid the steps up from the street level. Once inside there there is step-free access to the concert seating and to the City of Leeds Room for refreshments and toilets. Wheelchairs and mobility devices are welcome and can be accommodated.
St Peter’s Singers gratefully acknowledge the generous support of
The Friends of the Music of Leeds Minster
St Peter’s Singers’ presentation of Music for Good Friday is an annual event, given by kind permission of Leeds Minster. It provides an opportunity to hear one of the great works of the sacred Oratorio repertoire in a context that a concert hall performance on a Saturday evening cannot provide, and at a price that more people can afford.
Past works receiving performance include:
- Bach’s St John Passion
- Bach’s B Minor Mass
- Handel’s Messiah
- Brahms’ German Requiem
- Dvorak’s Stabat Mater
- Haydn’s Stabat Mater
- Scarlatti’s Stabat Mater
- Oglesby’s Penthos