We might be tempted to think of the Mayfield Festival as literally just that. An annual event when Mayfield defies gravity and, punching way above its weight in semibreves, attracts a stella array of internationally-bound musicians to perform a seriously eclectic concatenation of musical gems. But the Festival lives on throughout the year and, in the run up to Christmas, we now have the opportunity to enjoy two very interesting concerts:

A Feast for St. Cecilia
Sunday 17 November 2024, 7.30pm
St. Dunstan’s Church, High Street, Mayfield

Lotti – Missa Sancti Christophori
Handel – Ode for St. Cecilia’s Day
Mayfield Festival Choir, conducted by Jeremy Summerly
Mayfield Baroque
Sofia Kirwan-Baez (soprano)
Dee Benians (alto)
Francis Melville (tenor)
This concert pairs Handel’s Cecilian Ode with a Mass setting by the Venetian Baroque composer Antonio Lotti. The St. Christopher Mass has become famous because of its outstanding ‘Crucifixus’ section at its centre. The instruments drop out and the choir branches out into eight parts to sing one of the most sublime few minutes of choral music from any era. This performance places Lotti’s Crucifixus within the whole Mass setting – a rare event.

Handel’s Messiah
Saturday 14 December 2024, 7pm
St. Dunstan’s Church, High Street, Mayfield

The London Mozart Players, conducted by Jack Gonzalez-Harding
Theano Papadaki, soprano
Louisa Stuart-Smith, mezzo-soprano
Sebastian Hill, tenor
George Robarts, baritone

George Frideric Handel’s most loved 1741 oratorio, Messiah, also known as A Sacred Oratorio. This perennial audience favourite promises a memorable evening filled with magnificent music and outstanding performances.

Tickets and Info: https://mayfieldfestival.co.uk/events/