Belmont Ensemble & Choir of St Martin-in-the-Fields

The Choir of St Martin-in-the-Fields is the flagship ensemble of St Martin-in-the-Fields Church, Trafalgar Square. It is an adult mixed choir whose members sing on a voluntary basis and who are drawn from many different walks of life. The Choir performs a wide range of traditional 'cathedral' liturgical repertoire to a professional standard as well as exploring new and innovative forms of Christian music. Heard most Sundays of the year in St Martin’s church services, the Choir also maintains an increasingly busy annual programme of broadcasts and concerts. The Choir is committed to encouraging, developing and performing new music, having, in the past 10 years, commissioned music from John Tavener, Arvo Pärt, John Dankworth, Cecilia MacDowall, and Alex Silverman. They also premiered Telling God's Story by Noel Rawsthorne, the winner of the 2005 St. Martin-in-the-Fields / BBC Radio 4 Carol Competition, at the Service of Nine Lessons and Carols here, on Sunday 18 December.

The Belmont Ensemble of London was founded by its Musical Director Peter G Dyson, and made its highly successful debut at St John's, Smith Square in 1991, winning instant critical acclaim "An impressive and enjoyable evening". The Ensemble celebrated its tenth anniversary year in 2001, and yet receives no subsidies, relying purely on enterprising programming and box office receipts.

Belmont Ensemble was pioneering in its performances of Baroque Music at St Martin-in-the-Fields in the early 1990s where they have now given literally hundreds of concerts, attracting large international audiences to their concerts; they are also regular performers at London's South Bank Centre. As well as performing in the capital, the Ensemble has appeared at numerous Festivals and Music Societies around the country, from Somerset to Sussex and Ludlow to Northampton.

They have broadcast on BBC Radio 3, Classic FM and Channel 4 Television and have several CD recordings to their credit.

"One of the UK's most exciting young orchestras...a fabulous concert." - Classic FM

"Transparency of articulation under the detailed direction of Peter Gilbert-Dyson." - The Strad

"Baroque Specialists" - The Times

"Quite delightful, wholly witty and wonderfully rhythmic, the ensemble's playing is light, playful and precise." - American Record Guide

"The band played with gusto... a very good chamber group" - The Independent

Programme
Remembrance Day and Patronal Festival Concert
Handel – Zadok the Priest
Mozart – Ave Verum Corpus
Mozart – Laudate Dominum from ‘Solemn Vespers’
Purcell – Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary
Mozart – Requiem
Choir of St Martin-in-the-Fields
Belmont Ensemble of London
Elizabeth Weisberg Soprano
Lucie Spickova Mezzo Soprano
Richard Rowntree Tenor
James Lawrence Bass
Peter G Dyson Conductor

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