The Crickhowell Choral Society is eagerly awaiting its bumper concert in Brecon Cathedral on Saturday, November 22 at 7.30pm.

This special event, in collaboration with the Brecknock Sinfonia, can't come soon enough for the choir, having been cancelled at the last moment in 2024 by the arrival of storm Darragh. "Hopefully", as conductor Stephen Marshall explains, "it will be the singing of the choir that takes Brecon by storm this time round and not the weather!"

The programme features a splendid array of musical gems all centred around the exquisite Mass in A♭ major by Schubert, written when the composer was at the height of his powers. "This work is simply one of the greatest mass settings and deserves to be better known" claims Steve, "it's full of those delightful Schubert melodies and spicy harmonies that everyone loves."

The choir has been working hard to bring out the music’s many subtleties, including navigating the exciting mood swings of the Credo, the lyricism of the Kyrie and the final large-scale fugue of the Gloria.

In addition to the collaboration with the Brecknock Sinfonia, the singers are delighted to be working with the vibrant solo voices of graduates from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.

In contrast to the Schubert, audiences will hear three shorter pieces, Beethoven's Coriolan Overture, a dramatic Haydn motet and a majestic setting of Psalm 98: Sing to the Lord, by Mendelssohn. "The Mendelssohn is yet another piece that deserves to be championed by more choirs" asserts the conductor, "and features two choirs and soloists conversing with each other in novel ways throughout."

Such interesting programming has become a well-known hallmark of Crickhowell Choral, whose track record includes many first modern performances of both baroque and contemporary repertoire.

Tickets at £15 (children/students free) are available online from the Society's website, at Webbs of Crickhowell, or call 07816 991501.