Great Choral Works

Large-scale choral works remain at the heart of the 2015 Proms season, beginning on the first night of the festival with Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast, conducted by the BBC Symphony Orchestra’s Chief Conductor Sakari Oramo, and culminating with the Vienna Philharmonic and BBC Proms Youth Choir, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle, performing Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius. Other works performed include Beethoven’s ‘Choral’ Symphony (No. 9 in D minor) and J. S. Bach’s Magnificat, as well as the European premiere of a BBC co-commission, Deep Field, composed and conducted by Eric Whitacre.

Published: 23 April 2015

Walton Belshazzar’s Feast
Christopher Maltman baritone
BBC Symphony Orchestra & Chorus/BBC National Chorus of Wales/BBC Singers/Sakari Oramo (17 July)

Beethoven Symphony No. 9 in D minor, ‘Choral’
Lucy Crowe soprano
Gerhild Romberger mezzo-soprano
Dmitry Popov tenor
Kostas Smoriginas bass-baritone
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra & Chorus/Andris Nelsons (19 July)

Stravinsky Symphony of Psalms
BBC National Orchestra & Chorus of Wales/
Thomas Søndergård (21 July)

Haydn Te Deum
BBC National Orchestra & Chorus of Wales/
Thomas Søndergård (21 July)

Hugh Wood Epithalamium (BBC commission: world premiere)
BBC Symphony Orchestra & Chorus/Sir Andrew Davis (22 July)

Schoenberg Friede auf Erden
BBC Singers/Mahler Chamber Orchestra/David Hill (24 July)

Vaughan Williams Sancta civitas
Robin Tritschler tenor
Iain Paterson baritone
Hallé/Hallé Choir & Youth Choir/London Philharmonic Choir/Trinity Boys Choir/Sir Mark Elder (30 July)

Bruckner Mass No. 3 in F minor
BBC Philharmonic/Orfeón Pamplonés/Juanjo Mena (1 August)

Verdi Requiem
Angela Meade soprano
Karen Cargill mezzo-soprano
Yosep Kang tenor
Raymond Aceto bass
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra/Concert Association of the Chorus of the Deutsche Oper Berlin/
Donald Runnicles (2 August)

Eric Whitacre Deep Field (BBC co-commission: European premiere)
BBC Singers/BBC Symphony Chorus/
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Eric Whitacre (9 August)

Nielsen Hymnus amoris
Winchester Cathedral Choristers/Danish National Symphony Orchestra/Danish National Concert Choir/Fabio Luisi (20 August)

Bach Magnificat
BBC Singers/Academy of Ancient Music/David Hill
(21 August)

Sibelius Kullervo
Johanna Rusanen-Kartano soprano
Waltteri Torikka baritone
BBC Symphony Orchestra & Chorus/Polytech Choir/Sakari Oramo (29 August)

Brahms Triumphlied
Benjamin Appl baritone
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment/Choir of the Enlightenment/Marin Alsop (1 September)

Orff Carmina burana
Southend Boys’ and Girls’ Choirs/BBC Symphony Chorus/BBC Concert Orchestra/London Philharmonic Choir/Keith Lockhart (6 September)

Nielsen Springtime on Funen
Crouch End Festival Chorus/BBC Symphony Orchestra/BBC Singers/Andrew Litton (9 September)

Ives Symphony No. 4
Crouch End Festival Chorus/BBC Symphony Orchestra/Andrew Litton (9 September)

Elgar The Dream of Gerontius
Magdalena Kožená mezzo-soprano
Toby Spence tenor
Roderick Williams baritone
BBC Proms Youth Choir/Vienna Philharmonic/
Sir Simon Rattle (11 September)