Starstruck

To mark their 20th anniversary, The Handful is showcasing a new commission alongside a selection of their favourite pieces from the past two decades.

At the core of the programme are two works which embrace vivid storytelling. Stargazer by Alec Roth comprises four, close harmony partsongs with a charming narrative based loosely on the theme of watching stars. Eric Whitacre’s Five Hebrew Love Songs features the composer’s renowned spine-tingling harmonies in a personal work about romantic love and friendship. For this celebration, The Handful is delighted to be joined by two local musicians, pianist Jamie Hamilton and violinist Sara Stagg.

“The Handful has a beautiful clarity of sound… a whole choir sounding as one.” - audience feedback

As well as reliving their most-loved musical moments, the choir is also looking to the future with a world premiere of their new commission. The piece, titled This Union, has been written by award-winning composer Kerensa Briggs using text by Hafez, a 14th century Persian poet. Kerensa’s music has been performed internationally at venues including St Paul’s Cathedral and the Sistine Chapel, and is regularly broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM. 

Other repertoire includes:

• Rani Arbo | Crossing the Bar
• Samuel Barber | Sure on this Shining Night
• Amy Beach | Over Hill, Over Dale
• Maurice Duruflé | Ubi Caritas
• Ēriks Ešenvalds | Long Road
• Gabriel Fauré | Madrigal
• Ola Gjeilo | Northern Lights
• Andrzej Hakenberger | Exsultate Justi in Domino
• arr. Moses Hogan | Ev’ry Time I Feel the Spirit
• Morten Lauridsen | O Magnum Mysterium
• Arvo Pärt | Which was the Son of…
• Camille Saint-Saëns | Les Fleurs et Les Arbres
• Frank Ticheli | Earth Song

The Handful is a vibrant and ambitious chamber choir based in Bath. Founded 20 years ago, the choir started out as a small ‘handful’ of experienced singers. With former Musical Directors Christopher Finch and then Tomos Watkins, the choir grew both in size and in stature, enthralling audiences with its fine sound and imaginative programming. Since Vicente Chavarría became Musical Director in 2021, the choir and their audience have enjoyed his exploration of a diverse repertoire and commitment to adventurous music-making.