Preview: 200 singers in Poulenc and Bruckner
Preview of Concert in Usher Hall on Sunday 15th March at 3pm:
Edinburgh Choral Union and Brussels Choral Society in Poulenc’s Gloria and Bruckner’s Mass in D Minor
In November I reported on the Edinburgh Royal Choral Union’s visit to Brussels where they were presenting Poulenc’s Gloria and Bruckner’s Mass in D Minor with the Brussels Choral Society. See Edinburgh Royal Choral Union goes to Brussels… — Edinburgh Music Review The concert at the BOZAR concert-hall on December 7th received a rapturous response from the full audience.
Now the two choirs are preparing for their joint Edinburgh concert with the same programme on Sunday March 15th at 3pm in the Usher Hall. The ERCU conductor, Michael Bawtree said, “ We had a wonderful week in Brussels in December where we were warmly welcomed by our friends in the Brussels Choral Society. We are now delighted to host them in Scotland’s capital and the country’s finest concert hall for this exciting springtime concert. I look forward to conducting two incredible choral masterpieces with 200 singers from over 25 countries, alongside four of Scotland’s brightest young soloists and the instrumentalists of Scotland’s national opera company.”
The two-hundred strong choir from twenty-five different nationalities, and the Orchestra of Scottish Opera will be conducted by Michael Bawtree ERCU’s longstanding Chorus Director, whose musical leadership has shaped the choir’s artistic identity for many years. He is widely admired for his clarity, depth, and commitment to choral excellence.
The solo roles are sung by the Sólas Ensemble, Katie Carmichael, soprano, Caitlin MacKenzie, mezzo-soprano, Euan McDonald, tenor and Joshua McCullough, bass. They met at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and are also establishing solo careers (receiving several favourable notices from the Edinburgh Music Review!)
The programme offers a striking pairing of contrasting works: Francis Poulenc’s Gloria and Anton Bruckner’s Mass in D minor. Poulenc’s Gloria, composed in 1959, is celebrated for its vibrant energy, playful rhythmic drive, and moments of radiant lyricism, combining modern harmonic language with a deep sense of joy and devotion. In contrast, Bruckner’s Mass in D minor stands as one of the composer’s most powerful sacred works, a monumental setting that reflects his unwavering faith, dramatic orchestration, and architectural musical vision. Performed side by side, the two pieces offer audiences a compelling journey from exuberant modern vitality to towering Romantic grandeur.
Tickets are on sale from the Usher Hall website. Currently there are good seats available priced from £22 (for front and back stalls). There are concessionary tickets for students and under 16s for £5.
Poulenc’s Gloria and Bruckner Mass in D Minor | Culture Edinburgh
