Bedford Choral Society Summer concert: Mozart Requiem and Haydn Nelson Mass @ Bedford Corn Exchange, Saturday, 20 June 2026
It was a very hot evening, but there was nonetheless an impressive turnout and enthusiastic audience for the Bedford Choral Society’s performance of music by Haydn and Mozart at the Corn Exchange on Saturday.
The Society, one of the oldest in Britain, having been founded in 1867, was joined by members of the Bedford Sinfonia and professional singers: Bedfordshire’s own Elizabeth Bottone (soprano), Judy Louie Brown (mezzo soprano), Rhydian Jenkins (tenor) and John Stainsby (bass).
Given the current political climate, it is perhaps apt that the first piece they performed was Nelson’s Mass, which Haydn himself described as having been written ‘in troubled times’.
At the time of composition in 1798, Napoleon’s territorial ambitions posed a very real threat to the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Haydn himself was suffering from ill-health, and the Prince of Esterházy dismissed the wind section just before the premiere.
This mood of foreboding is conveyed in the opening Kyrie in D minor through the stripped-down orchestra of strings, organ, trumpets and timpani, and the coloratura part admirably sung by Elizabeth Bottone.
The subsequent movements are in the brighter key of D major, ultimately ending on a joyous, uplifting note that reflects Haydn’s own unfailing religious faith.
The second half of the concert comprised Mozart’s Requiem (completed by his pupil Süssmayr), extracts from which are familiar to many of us from their use in numerous TV series, popular films and ads.
Less common is the ability to place these extracts in their original context, and as chairman Carole Bell comments in the programme notes, “knowing pieces of it makes them even more enjoyable”.
In the original scoring, Mozart’s Requiem had parts for the basset horn, an instrument that he particularly favoured.
In modern performances of the work, clarinets are often substituted, but in this performance by the Bedford Choral Society, there were indeed two very capable basset horn players contributing to its authenticity.
Performances by all were fluent in both of these celebrated works, with the rendition of the Rex Tremendae (Mozart’s Requiem) being especially effective.
Director and Conductor Ian Smith ensured that the huge choir of about 100 singers always balanced well with the orchestra and solo singers.
Sadly, the Corn Exchange is not blessed with an organ. The electric organ used was mostly very effective, but to my untrained ear sounded somewhat strident in the Benedictus of Haydn’s Mass.
Overall, however, the evening provided a great opportunity to hear in full two great works of the classical era that remain relevant for our times.
