St Albans Choral Society is celebrating its 80th anniversary season singing in the city of St Albans, and our 2025 Spring Concert on 29 March offered a rich programme of music in the stunning acoustic of St Peter’s Church, St Albans. 

Conducted by George Vass and Naomi Jones, the choir was joined by guest artists William Pate (baritone), Philippa Mo (violin), Timothy End (piano), Edward Kemp-Luck (organ) and the North Bedfordshire Youth Choir.

The concert began with Everyday Wonders: The Girl from Aleppo, a cantata by the choir’s popular composer-in-association, Cecilia McDowall. This powerful cantata narrates the remarkable story of Nujeen Mustafa, a Kurdish teenager with cerebral palsy, who was forced to flee her home due to war and undertake a challenging journey across Europe with her sister.

The choir also performed Bob Chilcott’s Dances of Time, a vibrant collection of choral songs exploring various facets of time. With texts spanning from biblical sources to the 20th century, Chilcott’s music is lively and full of character, incorporating dance-inspired elements. 

Concluding the programme’s choral offering was a performance of Fauré’s exquisite Requiem, a cornerstone of the choral repertoire.

Philippa Mo and Timothy End enriched the choral works with two instrumental pieces – Astor Piazzolla’s dynamic tango Escualo and Max Richter’s moving Mercy.