Composed in 1798, Joseph Haydn’s Nelson Mass stands as one of the most powerful achievements of the choral repertoire. Written when Napoleon Bonaparte’s armies swept across Europe, the work’s Latin title “Mass for Troubled Times” reflects the anxieties of the age and the enduring hope of faith. Soon after its première, news arrived of Horatio Nelson’s victory over Napoleon at the Battle of the Nile. The mass became forever linked with the admiral’s name.

Michael Haydn, the younger brother of Joseph Haydn, was also a composer and deeply admired by Mozart. Written in 1771, Michael’s Requiem in C minor stands entirely on its own as a work of compelling beauty and spiritual intensity. 

Join the Basingstoke Choral Society for an unforgettable evening as voices and instruments combine to bring you music that offers both dramatic power and radiant optimism.