Elijah

Mendelssohn’s glorious oratorio, Elijah, has been hugely popular from its first performance, leading some to call it the Messiah of its day and cementing his position as one of the greatest composers of sacred music.

Written in the spirit of his Baroque predecessors Bach and Handel – whose music he greatly admired – but clearly reflecting his own more Romantic style, Mendelssohn ended up also writing most of the text for the work. Rarely out of the standard repertoire for large choirs since its premiere, the work is in two parts and follows the biblical stories of the Prophet Elijah, including the resurrection of a dead youth, a contest of the gods, the bringing of rain to a parched Israel and the persecution of Elijah by Queen Jezebel.

We’re delighted to be joined for this concert by the University of East Anglia Chorus, conducted by Chorus Master of both ensembles Tom Primrose.