Mendelssohn ‘Elijah’

Concert details

Our 80th Anniversary concert will be Mendelssohn’s Elijah – the first oratorio ever performed by the Festival Choir, back in 1946, and we have scheduled it for the equivalent weekend in 2026. Quite coincidentally (although it might have been in George Vesey’s mind when he chose Elijah for that very first concert) the work was premiered in 1846, so 2026 is its bicentenary.

The work depicts events in the life of the Prophet Elijah as told in the books 1 Kings and 2 Kings of the Old Testament. Elijah is modelled on the oratorios of Handel and Bach, but in its lyricism and use of orchestral and choral colour the style clearly reflects Mendelssohn’s own skill as an early Romantic composer.

This promises to be an exciting and memorable concert, a fitting tribute to Thanet Festival Choir’s 80 years of making music. We are delighted to be performing this with a full orchestra and to welcome our outstanding Soloists.

Baritone Nick Morris, making his TFC debut as our Elijah, has an extensive career in opera, having performed major roles in works by Handel through to Wagner, and in world premieres by Knussen, Maxwell-Davies and Phillip Glass.

Our tenor soloist, Mark Dobell, a former student of our MD, and a member of The Sixteen and Westminster Abbey Choir, has performed across Europe and the U.S.A. with the likes of The Monteverdi Choir, I Fagiolini, The Cardinall’s Musick and The Tallis Scholars.
 
Mezzo-soprano Ciara Hendrick, has an extensive diary encompassing chamber, consort, recording and operatic engagements, singing regularly with the BBC Singers, I Fagiolini (currently touring with their Monteverdi Vespers at King’s Place later in the year), the Dunedin Consort, La Nuova Musica and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.  She has also recorded with many leading Early Music groups.
 
Alexandra Stevenson, our soprano, has combined her love of contemporary opera, touring in the U.K. and the Europe, in premieres of works by Patrick Dawes and Cecilia McDowall, as well as singing for the official broadcast of the Coronation of King Charles III, as a Classic FM Partner Solo Artist.
 

Advance tickets are now available, price £22. The price on the door will be £25. Tickets for Students and Children are £5. 

Click here to purchase. There is a 50p per ticket booking fee for online purchases.

Please note the earlier-than-usual start time of 7.00pm and and remember to allow plenty of time for parking. 

Date/Time

Date(s) - 24/10/2026
7:00 pm - 9:30 pm

Holy Trinity Church

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