Hertfordshire Chorus sings from their Gramophone 'Editor's Choice' Album
16th January 2027
From Hubert Parry, composer of Jerusalem and I Was Glad, come two remarkable yet forgotten works; De profundis and God is our hope and strength. Our recent Gramophone Editor’s Choice album celebrates both pieces. Today we pair them with Vaughan Williams’ much loved Dona nobis pacem, a cry for peace.
Hubert Parry is a household name through the well-known hymns Jerusalem (Sung at Last Night of the Proms) and I was Glad (sung at coronations). These lesser-known masterpieces have been brought to modern audiences by Hertfordshire Chorus and David Temple. This concert celebrates these works and our recent recording, released in July 2026 to critical acclaim. Music Web International said “ Both are works of genuine stature and I hope the excellent performances that David Temple leads will further their cause; they deserve to be better known.”
We are delighted to be joined by Sophie Bevan and the London Mozart Players, with whom we recorded this music, and equally delighted to be joined by Benjamin Bevan.
De profundis:
Recognised by Vaughan Williams as Parry’s “finest work”, De profundis is almost entirely unknown to modern audiences. Gramophone’s reaction to the recording was "a substantial 24-minute canvas of blazing eloquence, unfailing craftsmanship and communicative power" and "David Temple leads another triumphant performance of English choral music".
God is our hope and strength:
A shorter work yet incredibly powerful, soaring from a quiet beginning to a nourishing high. Music Web International said “Temple, his choir and his orchestra give a really persuasive account of this piece; other choirs should hasten to investigate it…”
Dona nobis pacem:
Written in 1936 against a background of rising fascism, Vaughan Williams sets powerful biblical texts alongside those by Walt Whitman and John Bright and is both a warning that mankind was sliding disastrously towards war and a plea for a world without strife. It is powerful music that calls on us to remember our shared humanity and to work for peace.
Sophie Bevan – Soprano
Benjamin Bevan – baritone
David Temple – Conductor
London Mozart Players
Hertfordshire Chorus
