An Easter Festival favourite, the Civil Service Choir returns with a programme of sacred works by distinguished women composers.
At its heart are two compelling cantatas by Fanny Hensel, the exceptionally gifted sister of Felix Mendelssohn whose works are increasingly – and rightly – celebrated today. Her cantata Hiob movingly traces Job’s journey from anguish to restored faith, foreshadowing the Easter themes of suffering transformed into hope and darkness giving way to light, while her Lobgesang (“Song of Praise”) bursts with joyful choral energy, celebrating renewal, gratitude, and the triumph of divine love central to the Resurrection.
The programme also includes Cecilia McDowall’s luminous Ave Maris Stella, a serene and expressive setting of the ancient Marian hymn that evokes themes of guidance, hope, and dawning light.
This uplifting concert is free with ticketed admission. A charity collection will be taken in support of the Charity for Civil Servants, the Cardinal Hume Centre, and Sinfonia Smith Square.