Music of War and Peace
Haydn: Paukenmesse | French: Strengthen for Service (UK premiere) | Coleridge: Requiem
15 November 2025, 7:30 pm
St Barnabas Church
Note: this event has passed.
A journey from darkness to light.
Written against the backdrop of the European war that followed the French Revolution, Haydn’s Paukenmesse (Mass in the Time of War) reflects the troubled mood of its time. Long thought to express anti-war sentiment, the Paukenmesse, with its bellicose timpani drumbeats and wind fanfares, forms a picture of a composer conflicted by the idea of war, who chose to close his Mass with the Dona Nobis Pacem, a celebration of peace.
Two contemporary works comprise the first half: The UK premiere of Strengthen for Service, an atmospheric anthem by young American composer Jessica French, followed by Matthew Coleridge’s Requiem, deeply moving and with beautiful, flowing melodies, one of the highest new entries in the Classic FM Hall of Fame 2023. The theme of service in the first piece, followed by the Requiem and then Haydn’s Mass make a suitable trio for a concert during the season of Remembrance, with a satisfying journey from contemplation to action.
We are delighted to partner with the Orpheus Sinfonia for this concert. Peter Asprey conducts.
Featuring
- Conductor: Peter Asprey
- Soprano: Katharina Russell
- Mezzo-Soprano: Louisa Stuart-Smith
- Tenor: Tobias Campos Santinaque
- Baritone: Oliver Heuzenroeder
- Cello: Rebecca Hepplewhite
- Orpheus Sinfonia
- Ealing Choral Society
Programme
- Joseph Haydn: Paukenmesse (Mass in the Time of War)
- Jessica French: Strengthen for Service
- Matthew Coleridge: Requiem
- Johann Sebastian Bach: Air on the G string (from orchestral suite #3)
Venue Details:
St Barnabas Church, Pitshanger Lane, Ealing, W5 1QG
Parking is always available on neighbouring streets, and there are no meters or residential parking schemes. The nearest tube stations are Ealing Broadway (on the Central and District Lines) and Hanger Lane (on the Central Line). From Ealing Broadway, use the E2 or E9 bus services. Taxis are also available outside Ealing Broadway tube station. The church is a 15-minute walk along Brunswick Road from Hanger Lane tube.