Date: Sunday, November 15th 2026
Venue: St Dunstan’s Church, Mayfield, East Susserx.
Start Time: 19:30
Performers
Mayfield Festival Choir
Conductor: Jeremy Summerly
Orchestra: Ripieno Players
Soloists: Sofia Kirwan-Baez (Soprano), Aneska Diament (Alto), Francis Melville (Tenor), Ed Birchinall (Bass)
Description
It’s hard to believe that Mozart rattled off the Great Mass in C Minor well before he was 30, and even more surprising that Schubert can have trotted out his impressively mature Stabat mater before he was 20. But in 1783 Mozart had a point to prove. The C-minor Mass was written to showcase the vocal prowess of Mozart’s new wife, Constanze. Mozart took Constanze to Salzburg as his Soprano soloist in order to parade her in front of his father and sister, as well as to goad the much-despised Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg. It worked.
Schubert had no such personal agenda: he was simply writing a lot of music in his late teens under the watchful eye of Anton Salieri. Salieri is often imagined as a twisted and jealous character, but actually, as well as admiring Mozart’s music, Salieri also inspired the young Schubert to unimaginable feats of creativity. Schubert’s Stabat mater reflects well on Salierei and, indeed, on Schubert’s brother, Ferdinand, to whom the Stabat mater was affectionately dedicated.
In this performance, Mayfield Festival Choir and the Ripieno Players under Jeremy Summerly are joined again by the stellar Soprano Sofia Kirwan-Baez and young vocal scholars from the Royal College of Music.
Mayfield Festival Choir with the Ripieno Players directed by Jeremy Summerly and soloist Xu Peng
Parry: Blest Pair of Sirens
Haydn: Drumroll Symphony
Grieg: Piano Concerto
Mayfield Festival Choir with Mayfield Baroque Orchestra directed by Jeremy Summerly will be opening the 2026 Mayfield Festival of Music and the Arts with Handel’s Israel in Egypt.
Mayfield Festival Choir invites you to Come & Sing Messiah with us. This is a one-day workshop, led by our Music Director Jeremy Summerly, to explore and enjoy some of the major choruses, followed by a performance at 16:00.
Mayfield Festival Choir directed by Jeremy Summerly with the Ripieno Players and soloists Sofia Kirwan-Baez, Alexandria Moon, Francis Melville and Gabriel Tufail-Smith.
Mayfield Festival Choir and the Ripieno Players directed by Jeremy Summerly with soloists Sofia Kirwan-Baez, Lexie Moon, Francis Melville and Ed Birchinall.
Mozart: Requiem
Mozart: Exsultate, jubilate
Haydn: ‘Little Organ’ Mass
Mayfield Festival Choir and Mayfield Baroque directed by Jeremy Summerly with soloists Sofia Kirwan-Baez (Soprano), Deirdre Benians (Alto) Francis Melville (Tenor)
Mayfield Festival Choir, Mayfield School Schola and the Ripieno Orchestra directed by Jeremy Summerly with soloists Francis Melville and Ross Fettes.
Mayfield Festival Choir and the Ripieno Players directed by Jeremy Summerly.
Mayfield Festival Choir and Mayfield Baroque directed by Jeremy Summerly with soloists Sofia Kirwan-Baez, Charlie Clapperton, Peter Davoren and Daniel Barrett.
Mayfield Festival Choir and the Ripieno Players directed by Jeremy Summerly with Sofia Kirwan-Baez (soprano), Dafydd Jones (tenor), Leo Selleck (bass)
Mayfield Festival Choir and London Primavera Orchestra directed by Jeremy Summerly with Eloise Irving (soprano) and Andrew Benians (organ)
Mayfield Festival Choir and Mayfield Baroque Orchestra directed by Jeremy Summerly with Peter Davoren as the Evangelist, Angus McPhee as Christ and Martin Johnson as Pilate and soloists Charlotte Bowden, Emma Roberts, Ted Black and Daniel Barrett, all from the Royal College of Music.
An oratorio for all seasons
Mayfield Festival Choir conducted by Jeremy Summerly with the Mayfield Baroque Orchestra and soloists Holly Teague (soprano), Emma Roberts (mezzo soprano), Ted Black (tenor) and Ross Fettes (bass), all from the Royal College of Music.
Bach: Christ lag in Todesbanden BWV 4
Bach: Nun Komm der Heiden Heiland BWV 61
Purcell: Dido & Aeneas
Mayfield Festival Choir conducted by Jeremy Summerly with Mayfield Baroque Orchestra and soloists Eloise Irving (Soprano), Helena Moore (Soprano), Richard Pinkstone (Tenor), Grace Stephens-Spada (Treble), Annenora Benians (Treble) and Rupert Jeffcoat (organ)
Mayfield Festival Choir conducted by Jeremy Summerly with the Ripieno Players and soloists Clare Tunney (Soprano), Frances Gregory (Alto), Richard Pinkstone (Tenor), Paul Grant (Bass) and Grace Stephens-Spada (Youth).
Giacomo CARISSIMI (1605-74) – Jephte
Alessandro SCARLATTI (1660-1725) – Dixit Dominus [iv]
Antonio VIVALDI (1678-1741) – Credo RV 591
Jan ZELENKA (1679-1745) – Miserere ZWV 57
Mayfield Festival Choir directed by Jeremy Summerly with the Mayfield Baroque Orchestra.
In the closing concert of the 2018 Mayfield Festival of Music & the Arts, the Festival Choir will perform Poulenc’s Gloria.
he 2018 Mayfield Festival of Music & the Arts will open with an all Mendelssohn programme. The Festival Choir will perform Lobgesang (Hymn of Praise).
Magnificat RV 610 – Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
Beatus vir SV 268 – Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643)
Machet die Tore weit TWV 1: 1074 – Georg Philip Telemann (1681-1767)
Nulla in mundo pax sincera RV 630 – Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
Gloria RV 589 – Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
Mayfield Festival Choir directed by Jeremy Summerly with the Mayfield Baroque Orchestra and soloists Eloise Irving (soprano), Eleanor Sanderson-Nash (soprano), Beth Moxton (alto), Joel Williams (tenor) & Harry Thatcher (bass).
