Rossini described this mass as a ‘sin of his old age’ and it is certainly a mass like no other!
Full of optimism and humour and with the flamboyance and drama characteristic of his earlier operas – it’s not to be missed.
This unique mass (in Rossini’s original setting) will be sung by four talented soloists, with burgeoning careers in opera, accompanied by Julian Elloway (piano), Tim Ingold (harmonium) and of course, Stroud’s Thames Head Singers. It will be directed by Andrew Hopwood.
As well as the mass the choir will be performing two short pieces; Maurice Duruflé’s Ubi Caritas and Gabriel Fauré’s beautiful Cantique de Jean Racine.
We look forward to welcoming you to this wonderful venue and and an exciting evening of music.
Doors open at 6.45pm for pre-concert drinks and the concert starts at 7.30pm.
The church is fully accessible.
Tickets £18.00 (18 & under free) from M&B Stores, Minchinhampton
or online from TicketSource. Box office 0333 666 3366
More about the Soloists….
Megan Strachan – Soprano
Megan Strachan is a British soprano whose singing has been praised for its dramatic intensity and lyrical warmth. Having graduated with distinction from the MMus Vocal Performance programme at Trinity Laban in 2022, she is now building a vibrant career on the operatic stage. After first studying singing with Thames Head Singers conductor Andrew Hopwood she made her debut as the title role in Patience with Cirencester Operatic Society.
She has since performed with a variety of touring and independent companies, establishing herself across lyric, bel canto, and dramatic repertoire. Her roles to date include Mimi (La bohème), Countess (The Marriage of Figaro), Gretel (Hänsel und Gretel) and Adina (L’elisir d’amore). Alongside her solo career, Megan is a founding member of Sorelle, an all-female operatic trio and, since 2023, she has been Creative director of Cardiff Opera.
Grace Maria Wain – Mezzo-soprano
Grace hails from The Fens and currently lives in Lanarkshire. She is an RWCMD* graduate and a Samling Artist. Her roles include Wellgunde Götterdämmerung (The London Opera Company), Marcellina and Dorabella Le Nozze di Figaro/ Così fan tutte (formidAbility), Grimgerde Die Walküre (Regents Opera), Waltraute Die Walküre (New Palace Opera), Wellgunde Götterdämmerung (Edinburgh Players Opera Group), Erika Vanessa (Regents Opera Orchestral Workshop), Rose O’Riordan The Ballybruff Trilogy (Opera Workshop Limerick – world premiere), La Zia Principessa Suor Angelica (Wexford Festival Opera) and Blümenmädchen Parsifal (New Palace Opera).
She was a semifinalist for the Elizabeth Connell Prize 2024, won the Carole Rees Award (Wagner Bursary) 2023, competed in the live rounds of IVC’s Hertogenbosch 2022 as a Wagner prize nominee and was selected for a masterclass with director John Fulljames.
*Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama
Alexander Duarte – Tenor
Alex is a young tenor with a burgeoning career in opera and has been dedicated to the art of singing since the age of nine. His journey began under the guidance of David Kirby-Ashmore and later continued with Peter Bronder. Alex also regularly consults Joy Mammen for advanced technical advice.
Despite being relatively new to performance, Alex has already captivated audiences as Tamino in Opera Kensington’s production of Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte and as Vašek in Brent Opera’s staging of Janáček’s The Bartered Bride. Alex has also performed and toured in France with Opera Loki, playing Spoletta in Puccini’s Tosca. His most recent roles include Don Jose in Carmen and Rodolfo in La Bohème.
William Stevens – Bass
A former Welsh National Opera Associate Artist, British bass-baritone William Stevens studied singing under Donald Maxwell at the RWCMD*. Recent highlights include Figaro (Le nozze di Figaro – WNO), Hans Sachs (Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg – Saffron Opera Group), Créon (Oedipus Rex – New Palace Opera), and the title role in Bluebeard’s Castle (Tessitoura).
His other roles include Hagen (Götterdämmerung), Fasolt (Das Rheingold),and Leporello (Don Giovanni). He has also sung major concert works by Handel, Bach, Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Verdi, Brahms, and Shostakovich. In the immediate future he will sing the requiems of Verdi and Fauré, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, and Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius.”
More about Petite Messe Solennelle …
Composed in 1863 by Gioachino Rossini
Rossini, a composer full of optimism and humour, is best known for his opera buffa (comic opera) works such as The Barber of Seville – flamboyant, energetic, dramatic pieces which he had given up writing thirty years before composing the Petite Messe. It is easy to see how the spirit of his earlier work re-emerges here, but now combined with genuine religious feeling. One commentator describes it as “a heartfelt religious work…. full of pathos, colour and intensity” and while it may not be exactly solemn, it is certainly serious.
In terms of structure, it mostly follows the form of the normal Latin mass and wording (Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus and Agnus Dei), with the addition of a soprano aria – O Salutaris Hostia – and a final Prelude and Fugue.
Thames Head Singers will perform the piece in chamber style, with the Rossini’s original accompaniment by piano and harmonium. He much preferred this, although he also wrote an orchestrated setting for a larger choir – mainly, he said, because if he didn’t, somebody else would.
And a final note – the inclusion of women’s voices was very much Rossini’s choice and he was not a lover of cathedral boys choirs. Sadly, the church did not allow women to sing it until after his death.
Cardiff Cotswold Opera