Easter concert at St Paul's Church in Weymouth

On Saturday, March 24 the society will present a performance of Stainer’s renowned work The Crucifixion: a Meditation on the Sacred Passion of the Holy Redeemer.

Sir John Stainer (1840-1901) was organist of St Paul’s Cathedral and a professor of music at Oxford, but he always aimed to provide compositions that would be accessible to the average amateur musician, often demonstrating his expertise at drawing emotion and depth of meaning from simple melody and harmony.

The Crucifixion has become one of the most popular church choral pieces of its period.

It was designed as a Meditation, using the standard available resources of choir and organ, and significantly, inviting the congregation to participate by singing with the choir in the five hymns that form part of the work.

The libretto alternates biblical prose narrative with original verses, expressing a Christian’s response to the events as they unfold. We will be joined by two professional soloists – Andrew Morris (tenor) who provides the narrative, and Michael Dewis (bass) playing the voice of Jesus.

David Bruce-Payne will be our organist, with Louise Dukes accompanying on piano.

To complement the main work of the evening Weymouth Choral Society and guests, including Winston Leese, the talented trumpet player, will also provide a selection of anthems and pieces including Rutter’s Cantus: Alleluia; Bach’s Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring; the haunting Lacrymosa’from Howard Goodall’s Eternal Light: a Requiem; The Trumpet Shall Sound from Handel’s Messiah and Cesar Franck’s Panis Angelicus.

The Society’s musical director Helen Brind will conduct.

• Weymouth Choral Society, Easter Concert, St Paul’s Church, Abbotsbury Road, Weymouth, Saturday, March 24, 7.30pm. Tickets priced £10 (free for under 16s) are available from Harmony Music, Dorchester, from Weymouth Pavilion Theatre, on the door or by phoning 07712 135150.