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6.30pm – Drinks and music in Great Hall
7.15pm – 8.15pm – Concert in the Wren Chapel
To commemorate the death of one of the nation’s greatest architects, Sir Christopher Wren (1632-1723), the Chapel Choir and Meridian Sinfonia perform an evening of the music of Henry Purcell (1659-1695), the most famous English composer working during Wren’s lifetime.
The performance will feature works written in 1692, the year the Royal Hospital opened its doors to the first Chelsea Pensioners, including Purcell’s magnificent ode to St Cecilia, Hail! Bright Cecilia.
Musical programme
Excerpts from Purcell’s semi-opera, The Fairy-Queen (1692), will be performed in the Great Hall during the drinks reception by the Chapel Choir:
The audience will then move to the Chapel for the continuation of the musical programme:
The Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital Chelsea is one of the finest professional church choirs in the UK. Its members sing Choral Matins in the Wren Chapel every Sunday at 11.00am (a service which is open to the general public), and provide the music at carol services, weddings and other events at the Royal Hospital.
William Vann is the Organist and Director of Music at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, a post he has held since 2012. He is an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music, a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists, and the founder and Artistic Director of the London English Song Festival.
Meridian Sinfonia is a dynamic and highly flexible professional ensemble, drawing on players from both the period instrument and modern orchestral worlds. Its players are highly sought after throughout the UK and Europe as performers, soloists and teachers.
This event is held as part of Wren 300, a multi-faceted celebration of the life and work of the renowned British architect, mathematician, astronomer and scientist Sir Christopher Wren.