
Date
Friday, 09.10
Hours 19:30
Location
Chiesa del Collegio Papio, Ascona
Via delle Cappelle 1, 6612 Ascona
Price categories
CHF 60 / 40 / 20
Chamber Music and Vocal Concerts
Concert information
Twenty-five years ago, Nigel Short founded the Tenebrae Choir. Seeking the best voices, he found them in the choir of St. Paul’s Cathedral, the two London opera houses, and the choir of Westminster Abbey. With the sixteen-voice Tenebrae Choir, Short realized a lifelong dream: “During the years with the King’s Singers, as a sextet, we could not sing many operas. I envisioned a choir that could combine the broad, passionate sound of large church choirs with the precision of a small vocal ensemble.”
“A Hymn to Heavenly Beauty” is the title of this spiritual journey through five centuries of choral art. Works by Tallis, a composer of the English Renaissance, meet sacred a cappella compositions from the 20th century. From Alonso Lobo’s deeply felt “Versa est in luctum,” which makes the mourning of the Spanish Renaissance palpable, the journey leads to the solemn Burial Sentences of Purcell and Croft. A highlight is Allegri’s famous “Miserere,” whose suspended high notes, in the acoustics of the Papio College Church, will have an almost unreal effect.
John Tavener’s meditative works enter into dialogue with the somber richness of the Russian Orthodox tradition, as found in the pages of Rachmaninov and Česnokov. With Eric Whitacre’s luminous harmonies and the essential beauty of Gustav Holst’s “Nunc Dimittis,” the circle of heavenly beauty is closed.
Program
Tenebrae Choir (London)
Nigel Short, conducting
Alonso Lobo (ca. 1555-1617)
“Versa est in luctum”
William Croft (ca. 1678-1727) / Henry Purcell (1659-1695)
Burial Sentences
Thomas Tallis (ca. 1505-1585)
“Loquebantur variis linguis”
“Salvator mundi”
“Te lucis ante terminum”
Antonio Lotti (1667-1740)
“Crucifixus”
Gregorio Allegri (1582-1652)
“Miserere mei, Deus”
Break
John Tavener (1944-2013)
Funeral Ikos
Hymn to the Mother of God
Song for Athene
Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943)
“Heruvimskaya pesn”
Pavel Chesnokov (1877-1944)
“Heruvimskaya pesn”
Eric Whitacre (1970)
“I Thank You God”
Gustav Holst (1874-1934)
“Ave Maria”
“Nunc Dimittis”
Duration: 100′ (with intermission)
The Artists

Tenebrae Choir (London)
Tenebrae was founded in 2001 by Nigel Short and is one of the world’s leading vocal ensembles. The choir has performed at the BBC Proms, the Elbphilharmonie, Wigmore Hall, and the Rheingau Music Festival. They have sung for Max Richter (“Voice”) and for film productions such as “Avatar: The Way of Water,” winning a Grammy in 2018 and the OPUS-KLASSIK Prize in 2025 for their live performance of Händel’s “Messiah,” among other accolades.

Nigel Short
Conductor
Nigel Short was a member of the King’s Singers and founded Tenebrae in 2001. As a conductor, he has led the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the London Philharmonic, and the Academy of Ancient Music. As an award-winning producer, he has worked with Decca, Deutsche Grammophon, and LSO Live. In 2018, he was nominated for a Grammy, and in 2025, he received the OPUS-KLASSIK Award for Orchestral Performance of the Year.
Venue information: Chiesa del Collegio Papio, Ascona
The Chiesa Santa Maria della Misericordia at the Roman Catholic secondary school “Collegio Papio” is a Renaissance-era building, renowned for its impressive altarpieces and wall paintings by Giovanni Serodine (17th century) and Marco D’Oggioni (16th century). Because of its size and excellent acoustics, the church is regularly used for concerts, including major concerts organized by classicAscona. The College’s other premises host master classes and other side events.
The College’s other premises are used for master classes and other side events.

A Hymn of Heavenly Beauty
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