London Premiere of James Francis Brown’s “The Heavens and the Heart”

Autumn Programme announcement

Hampstead Chorus has recently agreed that its Autumn programme will include the London premiere of James Francis Brown’s The Heavens and the Heart, a 16 minute piece for choir, 2 horns in F, harp, and strings.  James is a friend of our accompanist, Heather and her partner Tom.  His work was a new commission in 2016 and is a setting of three psalms (Numbers 19, 58 and 92).

The work received its premiere at the Presteigne Festival in August 2016 under the baton of George Vass, in a programme which also included Faure’s Requiem.  It was performed a second time in November by the St Albans Choral Society, also conducted by George.

A review of the premiere by Peter Reynolds for the Hereford Times (30^th August 2016) stated that the work ‘made a splendidly athletic impression: traditional with strong simple choral parts singing out over the orchestra – it could become a useful addition to the amateur choral repertoire.’

Hampstead Chorus is delighted to be given the opportunity to do this new work at the start of our 10th gala season.

You can find out more about James Francis Brown here