French Impressions

Let the light and colour of France brighten your midwinter
weekend! Pegasus presents a concert of sensuous masterpieces by French
composers… and composers inspired by France. This free, hour-long performance
takes place in one of London’s most striking churches.

Our programme includes sacred motets and secular anthems from
Renaissance masters Jean Mouton, Claudin de Sermisy and Orlande de Lassus.
There are exquisite Romantic vignettes from Reynaldo Hahn, Pierre Villette and
Frederick Delius.The contemplative beauty of Gabriel Fauré’s “Cantique de Jean
Racine” is contrasted with the ecstatic exuberance of Jean-Yves Daniel-Lesur’s
“Epithalame”. And there are three chansons each from Claude Debussy and Maurice
Ravel, the Impressionists at their most sensuous, subtle and surprising.

Our venue is the eighteenth-century splendour of St. George’s,
Bloomsbury, the final London church designed by the leading
architect of the English Baroque, Nicholas Hawksmoor. An hour of glowing
harmonies here is the perfect way to round off your weekend!

Matthew Altham directs, and Martin Toyer is the
pianist. (The concert is free, and advance tickets are not required.)

Programme
Ravel: Trois Chansons
Debussy: Trois Chansons de Charles d&;Orléans
Debussy: Des Pas sur la Neige
Delius: To be Sung of a Summer Night on the Water
Mouton: Nesciens Mater
De Sermisy: Je ne Mange Point du Porc
Lassus: La Nuit Froide et Sombre
Laloux: Tantum Ergo; O Salutaris Hostia
Hahn: Lydie
Faure: Cantique de Jean Racine
Villette: Hymne à la Vierge; Salve Regina
Daniel-Lesur: Epithalame (Le Cantique des Cantiques)