Chesterfield Crooked Spire's concert choir in residence presents Mozart's Requiem and Bach's Magnificat

As the Crooked Spire church’s concert choir in residence, the Philharmonic will be accompanied by Derbyshire Sinfonia on Saturday, March 25, at 7.30pm. Members of the Sinfonia will perform Bach’s Air on a G String and Vivaldi’s Concerto for Two Trumpets.

The story of Mozart’s Requiem is worthy of any mystery novel. At the time of Mozart’s death in 1791, only the first movement was completed though most of the rest of the work had been sketched out by him.

The eccentric Count Franz von Walsegg had commissioned the Requiem from Mozart anonymously through intermediaries in order that he could claim he composed it to memorialise the recent passing of his wife.

Mozart received only half of the payment in advance, so upon his death his widow Constanze was keen to have the work completed secretly by someone else, submit it to the count as having been completed by Mozart and collect the final payment. Joseph von Eybler made a start but felt unable to complete it and gave the manuscript back to Constanze. The task was ultimately finished by Franz Xaver Süssmayr.

But whatever the controversies surrounding the work, there is no doubt that it is one of the loveliest of requiems with glorious and uplifting themes.

Admission to Chesterfield Philharmonic Choir’s ‘From Baroque to Classical’ concert costs £16 (adults), £14 (seniors), £5 (students and unemployed), available by email from: [email protected], online at www.chestphilchoir.org.uk or the town’s Visitor Information Centre on 01246 345777.