The Full Works Concert - Tuesday 21 January 2014

Tonight, a live concert recorded exclusively for Classic FM, featuring the Parliament Choir and the Southbank Sinfonia.

Tonight, Anne-Marie Minhall introduces a live concert recorded exclusively for Classic FM. The Parliament Choir and Southbank Sinfonia perform two stunning - and very different - masses, at London's Cadogan Hall. 

The Parliament Choir was formed in 2000 after a discussion between Lord Filkin and Simon Over (then Director of Music at St Margaret’s Westminster) about the difficulty of belonging to a choir while working in Parliament; the need to work during evenings made it very hard to attend rehearsals. The choir now holds weekly rehearsals in St Mary Undercroft (the chapel within the Palace of Westminster) during parliamentary sessions, which allows MPs and Peers to leave rehearsals at the sound of the division bell in order to vote.

Since its inception the choir has sung a rich and varied repertoire ranging from Bach’s Christmas Oratorio to songs from the shows, carol concerts to Verdi’s Requiem.

In true Parliamentary style, all the performers are ‘whipped’ into shape by the Founder and Music Director of the Parliament Choir, Simon Over.

Haydn's Harmoniemesse in B-flat major was written in 1802. It got its name because of the prominence of the wind instruments - the German terminology for a kind of wind ensemble is Harmonie. 

The Gloria by Francis Poulenc is scored for soprano solo, large orchestra, and chorus and is a setting of the Roman Catholic 'Gloria in excelsis Deo' text. One of Poulenc's most celebrated works, it was premiered in January 1961 by the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Joseph Haydn: Mass No.14 in Bb major Hob.XXII:14 (Harmoniemesse)

Francis Poulenc Gloria

Soloists: Mary Bevan, Felicity Turner, Benedict Coldstream, Nigel Cliffe
Simon Over conducts the Parliament Choir and the Southbank Sinfonia