Chamber Weekender: The Full Moon Mass
CHAMBER WEEKENDER
Friday 9th October to Sunday 11th October 2026
St Barnabas Church, Pimlico/Belgravia SW1W 8PF
Directed by Scott Inglis-Kidger
Missa La Luna Piena a8
Giuseppe Corsi da Celano (c1631-1691)
This Chamber Weekender offers you the rare chance to sing seventeenth-century Roman composer Giuseppe Corsi da Celano’s Messa La Luna Piena. Written for double choir, Corsi’s Mass combines the splendour of the Roman polychoral tradition with the expressive freedom of the emerging Baroque. Its contrasting textures and interplay between the choirs make it a rewarding work to explore and perform. The work’s enigmatic title adds another dimension. La luna piena (the full moon) evokes a fascinating seventeenth-century world in which music, art, faith and the new science of astronomy increasingly intersected. Corsi worked at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, whose celebrated Pauline Chapel contains Cigoli’s remarkable depiction of the Virgin standing upon a cratered moon, inspired by the telescopic observations of his friend Galileo. Across three days, our small chamber ensemble will explore this eight-part score in depth, working towards an informal performance to which family and friends are warmly invited. As with all our Chamber Weekenders, the emphasis is on discovering the music together: singing in a supportive but competent group, developing ensemble, tone and expression through focused rehearsals and expert vocal coaching. Alongside the serious singing, there are receptions with fizz, homemade bakes and an optional choir dinner.
What are these weekends all about?
Our Chamber Weekenders are our most tailored and immersive offering, and are designed to challenge and stimulate experienced choral singers in a chamber setting (15 to 25 people). They are best suited to those who enjoy singing to a high level and feel confident in chamber-sized groups. Therefore diligent preparation and/or solid sight-reading is expected. In this case, we will be singing only 3 or so to a part. They're also a wonderful social opportunity; spending time with like-minded, friendly singers.
SCHEDULE
Friday 9th October
19:15 - Day 1 registration
19:30 - Session 1
21:00 - Prosecco welcome reception
Saturday 10th October
11:00 - Day 2 registration (refreshments included)
11:30 - Session 2
13:15 - Lunch (not included)
14:15 - Session 3
15:30 - Break (refreshments included)
16:00 - Session 4
17:00 onwards - Choir social time and optional choir dinner (dinner will be confirmed dependent on numbers)
Sunday 11th October
14:30 - Day 3 registration
14:45 - Session 5
16:15 - Break (refreshments included)
16:45 - Informal sing-through (guests welcome)
17:30 - Prosecco closing reception
18:00 - End
SCORES
Please download and print your score HERE. Please refrain from using other editions and note that we will not be providing hard copies on the day.
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