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LondonClassicalConcerts

Tenebrae

Wigmore Hall, 11-Feb-2026 / 19:30

St Martin-in-the-Fields, 3-Dec-2025 / 19:30

Barbican Hall, 4-Jul-2025 / 19:30

Barbican Hall, 4-May-2025 / 19:30

Janáček: The Excursions of Mr Brouček

St Martin-in-the-Fields, 15-Apr-2025 / 19:30

Wigmore Hall, 3-Feb-2025 / 13:00

Favourite pieces

Bach's Komm, Jesu, komm BWV229 performed in 2021 (March) and 2017 (October).

Chants Puer Natus Est and Veni, Veni Emmanuel performed in 2016 (December) and 2015 (December).

Gustav Holst's In the bleak midwinter performed in 2019 (December), 2018 (December), 2016 (December) and 2015 (December).

Herbert Howells' A spotless Rose performed in 2020 (December), 2018 (December) and 2014 (December).

Jonathan Rathbone's The Oxen performed in 2019 (December), 2016 (December) and 2015 (December).

Peter Wishart's Alleluya performed in 2020 (December), 2016 (December), 2015 (December) and 2014 (December).

Philip Ledger's Adam Lay Ybounden performed in 2016 (December) and 2015 (December).

Richard Lloyd's Love Came Down at Christmas performed in 2017 (December), 2016 (December) and 2015 (December).

Richard Pygott's Quid petis, O fili? performed in 2016 (December) and 2015 (December) and 2014 (December).

Simon Preston's There Is No Rose performed in 2016 (December) and 2015 (December).

Max Reger's Der Mensch lebt und bestehet Op. 138 No. 1 and Nachtlied Op. 138 No. 3 performed in 2021 (March) and 2017 (October).

Schoenberg's Friede auf Erden Op. 13 performed in 2018 (October and July).

Heinrich Schütz's Das ist je gewißlich wahr SWV388 performed in 2021 (March) and 2017 (October).

Will Todd's My Lord Has Come performed in 2023 (December), 2017 (December), 2016 (December), 2015 (December) and 2014 (December).

Wigmore Hall, 4-Dec-2024 / 13:00

  • Michael Praetorius, Chilcott, Charles Wood, Holst, Howells, Gruber, Jan Sandström, Robert Lucas Pearsall, June Collin, Jonathan Rathbone, James Lord Pierpont, Ben Parry

Wigmore Hall, 28-Sep-2024 / 13:00

  • Hildegard of Bingen: O vis eternitatis

Barbican Hall, 12-Sep-2024 / 19:00

  • Holst

Barbican Hall, 10th and 11th of April 2024 / 19:00

  • Ravel: Daphnis and Chloé

St. Martin-in-the-Fields, 15-Dec-2023 / 19:30

  • Bob Chilcott: Before the Ice
  • Joanna Marsh: In Winter’s House
  • June Collin: The Quiet Heart
  • Ben Parry: The Aldeburgh Carol
  • Owain Park: O magnum mysterium
  • Gauntlett: Once in Royal David’s City
  • Trad: arr. Pearsall – In dulci jubilo

Wigmore Hall, 31-Oct-2023 / 19:30

  • Holst: The Evening-Watch Op. 43 No. 1
  • Cecilia McDowall: Standing as I do before God
  • Francis Pott: The Souls of the Righteous
  • Caroline Shaw: and the swallow
  • Richard Rodney Bennett: A Good-Night
  • Vaughan Williams: Rest
  • Joel Thompson: A Prayer for Deliverance
  • Tavener: Song for Athene
  • Herbert Howells
  • Robert Lucas Pearsall, Sullivan, William H Harris

St. Martin-in-the-Fields, 13-Jul-2023 / 19:30

  • Robert White:
    • Christe qui lux es III
    • Christe qui lux es IV
    • Exaudiat te Dominus
  • Byrd: Mass for Four Voices (interspersed with plainsong Propers)
  • Tallis:
    • O sacrum convivium
    • Sancte Deus
    • Miserere nostri
    • Loquebantur
  • William Mundy: Vox Patris caelestis

St. Martin-in-the-Field, 26-Jan-2023 / 19:30

  • Rachmaninov: Vespers

Wigmore Hall, 11-Dec-2022 / 19:30

  • Gregorian Chant: Rorate caeli
  • Roderick Williams: O Adonai
  • Anon
  • Bruckner: Virga jesse floruit
  • Rutter: There is a flower
  • Robert White: Ad te levavi oculos
  • Orlande de Lassus
  • Elizabeth Poston
  • Sweelinck
  • Walton
  • Christopher Robinson
  • Joanna Forbes L'Estrange: In the Bleak Midwinter
  • Francis Pott, Joseph Phibbs, Gruber

Wigmore Hall, 3-May-2022 / 19:30

  • Górecki, Robert Parsons, Bruckner, Stravinsky, Britten, Rebecca Clarke, Grieg, Arnold Bax, Owain Park, Tavener, Sulpitia Cesis, Verdi, Giles Swayne, Poulenc and Margaret Rizza.

Wigmore Hall, 8-Feb-2022 / 19:30

  • Richard Rodney Bennett, Bob Chilcott, Peter Maxwell Davies, Jeffrey Mumford, Poulenc, Ēriks Ešenvalds, Holst, Elgar, Healey Willan, James MacMillan, Jonathan Harvey, John Rutter

Unless otherwise stated, Nigel Short conducted Tenebrae for the performances shown on this website page.

Wigmore Hall, 2-Dec-2021 / 19:30

  • Roderick Williams, Philip Moore, Josephine Stephenson

Crystal Palace Bowl, 28-Aug-2021 / 17:30

  • Max Richter:
    • INFRA
    • VOICES

Tenebrae's concerts, unfortunately, cancelled due to the pandemic.

On the 3rd of December 2020 at the Wigmore Hall.

On the 9th of April 2020 at the St John's Smith Square.

On the 8th of April 2020 with the Britten Sinfonia at Sinfonia Smith Square.

Wigmore Hall, 30-Mar-2021 / 19:30

  • Heinrich Schütz: Ehre sei dir Christe from Matthäus-Passion
  • Bach:
    • Wenn ich einmal soll scheiden from St Matthew Passion BWV244
  • Max Reger: O Tod, wie bitter bist du from Geistliche Gesänge

Wigmore Hall, 15-Dec-2020 / 19:30

Live streamed

  • Traditional:
    • This is the truth sent from above (arr. Ralph Vaughan Williams)
  • Tomás Luis de Victoria: O magnum mysterium
  • Richard Pygott

Wigmore Hall, 1-Dec-2019 / 19:30

Nigel Short - Conductor, Olivia Jageurs - Harp

  • Gregorian Chant: O come, O come Emmanuel
  • Joanna Forbes L'Estrange's: Advent 'O' Carol
  • Britten: A Ceremony of Carols Op. 28
  • James Burton: O Thoma!
  • Maxwell Davies: 4 Carols from O magnum mysterium
  • Sally Beamish: In the stillness
  • Franz Xavier Gruber

Favourite Seasonal songs

Angelus ad Virginem by an anonymus composer performed in 2022 (December), 2020 (December), 2017 (December), 2016 (December), 2015 (December) and 2014 (December).

Arnold Bax's I Sing of a Maiden that is Makeless performed in 2019 (December), 2017 (December), 2016 (December) and 2015 (December).

Byrd's O Magnum Mysterium performed in 2016 (December) and 2015 (December).

Bob Chilcott's The Shepherd's Carol performed in 2023 (December) and 2019 (December).

Gregorian Chant's O radix Jesse performed in 2022 (December), 2019 (December) and 2014 (December).

Joanna Marsh's In Winter’s House performed in 2022 (December), 2022 (February) and 2019 (December, world première).

Jonathan Lane's There Is No Rose performed in 2016 (December) and 2015 (December).

Adrian Peacock's Venite, Gaudete! performed in 2016 (December) and 2014 (December).

Adrian Peacock's Veni, Veni Emmanuel performed in 2019 (December) and 2015 (December).

Poulenc's Quatre motets pour le temps de Noël FP 152 performed in 2017 (December, 16) and 2014 (December).

Christopher Robinson's Rejoice and be Merry performed in 2016 (December) and 2015 (December).

Vaughan Williams' Wassail Song performed in 2016 (December) and 2014 (December).

Warlock's Benedicamus Domino performed in 2019 (December), 2018 (December), 2017 (December), 2016 (December), 2015 (December) and 2014 (December).

Warlock's I saw a fair maiden performed in 2017 (December), 2016 (December) and 2015 (December).

Royal Albert Hall, 13-Aug-2019 / 22:15

12 ensemble, Nigel Short - Conductor

  • Arvo Part and Pēteris Vasks.

Tenebrae performed Poulenc's Quatre motets pour un temps de penitence, Victoria's Selection from the Tenebrae Responsories for Good Friday and Sir James MacMillan's Seven Last Words from the Cross with the Britten Sinfonia under the baton of Nigel Short at St. John's Smith Square on the 19th of April 2019.

Kings Place, 13-Dec-2018 / 20:00

  • Jonathan Lane: Bethlehem Down
  • Tavener: The Lamb
  • Richard Rodney Bennett: Five Carols

Wigmore Hall, 24-Oct-2018 / 19:30

Nigel Short - Conductor, Eugene Asti - Piano, Sarah Connolly

  • Elgar: They are at rest
  • Gurney:
    • Since I believe in God the Father Almighty
    • By a Bierside
    • In Flanders
    • Sleep
  • Judith Bingham: A Walk with Ivor Gurney
  • Howells: Take him, earth, for cherishing
  • Parry: Songs of Farewell

St John's Smith Square, 6-Jul-2018 / 19:30

  • Thompson: Alleluia
  • Copland: In the Beginning
  • Eric Whitacre:
    • I thank you God
    • Sleep
  • Bernstein:
    • Missa Brevis
    • Chichester Psalms (chamber version
  • Stephen Paulus: The Day is Done
  • Players of Aurora Orchestra
  • David Allsopp - Countertenor
  • Martha McLorinan - Mezzo soprano
  • Nigel Short - Conductor

St John's Smith Square, 28-Mar-2018 / 20:00

Pärt: Passio

  • Aurora Orchestra, Nicholas Madden as Pilate, Jimmy Holliday as Jesus, Emma Walshe - Soprano, Hannah Cooke - Mezzo soprano, David de Winter - Tenor, Stephen Kennedy - Baritone

Kings Place, 16-Dec-2017 / 19:30

  • Fauré: Cantique de Jean Racine with cello obbligato (Oliver Coates)
  • Debussy: Trois chansons de Charles d’Orleans
  • Jonathan Harvey: Lauds
  • Britten: Hymn to the Virgin
  • Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on carols with organ and cello (Oliver Coates)

Cadogan Hall, 3-Dec-2017 / 18:00

Sinfonia Smith Square, 30-Oct-2017 / 19:30

  • Bach:
    • Jesu meine Freude BWV227
    • Lutheran Mass in F BWV233
    • Singet dem Herrn BWV225
  • Steinitz Bach Players
  • Nigel Short - Conductor

Favourite traditional pieces

Away in a manger (arr. Nigel Short) performed in 2015 (December) and 2014 (December).

I wonder as I wander (arr. Andrew Carter) performed in 2020 (December) and 2014 (December).

Silent Night (arr. Jonathan Rathbone) performed in 2016 (December), 2015 (December) and 2014 (December).

Twelve Days of Christmas (arr. Ian Humphris) performed in 2016 (December) and 2014 (December).

St John's Smith Square, 12-Apr-2017 / 19:30

  • Bach:
    • Ach Herr, laß dein lieb Engelein BWV245
    • Christ lag in Todesbanden BWV277i
    • Den Tod niemand zwingen kunnt BWV277ii
    • Wenn ich einmal soll scheiden BWV244
    • Ciaconna with chorale themes BWV1004
  • Faure: Requiem
  • Aurora Orchestra

St John's Smith Square, 18-Dec-2016 / 19:00

Nigel Short - Conductor

  • Warlock: As dew in Aprylle
  • Alex Redshaw: I Sing of a Maiden
  • Traditional: Jingle Bells (arr. Ben Parry)

Kings Place, 28-Jan-2016 / 20:00

  • Trad:
    • Montagnarde (arr. Bob Chilcott)
    • Viens par le pré (arr. Bob Chilcott)
    • Là-bas dans cette plaine (arr. Bob Chilcott)
    • En la Macarenita (arr. Bob Chilcott)
    • Aka-tonbo (arr. Bob Chilcott)
    • Furusato (arr. Bob Chilcott)
    • Tuoll’ on mun kultani (arr. Bob Chilcott)
    • Greensleeves (arr. Bob Chilcott)
    • Feller from Fortune (arr. Bob Chilcott)
    • The Gift to be Simple (arr. Bob Chilcott)
    • The Lazy Man (arr. Bob Chilcott)
    • She’s Like the Swallow (arr. Bob Chilcott)
    • L’habitante de Saint-Barbe (arr. Bob Chilcott)
  • Juan de Anchieta: Con amores, la mi madre (arr. Bob Chilcott)
  • Bob Chilcott:
    • Marriage to My Lady Poverty
    • Thou, My Love, Art Fair
    • Even Such Is Time (Mvt. IV)
    • The Modern Man I Sing
    • Sun, Moon, Sea and Stars
    • Swimming over London (arr. Bob Chilcott)
  • Walton: Touch Her Soft Lips and Part (arr. Bob Chilcott)
  • Lennon/McCartney:
    • Mother Nature’s Son (arr. Bob Chilcott)
    • Blackbird/ I Will (arr. Jonathan Rathbone)
    • When I’m 64 (arr. Paul Hart)
  • Jerome Kern: Go Little Boat (arr. Bob Chilcott)
  • Gershwin: Fascinatin’ Rhythm (arr. Bob Chilcott)

Kings Place, 11-Dec-2015 / 19:30

Cadogan Hall, 29-Nov-2015 / 18:00

Handel: Messiah

Wigmore Hall, 13-Oct-2015 / 19:30

An all Purcell programme

St John's Smith Square, 18-Dec-2014 / 19:30