Venue details
Hexham Abbey
Beaumont St Hexham NE46 3NB
Hexham Abbey is a Grade I listed place of Christian worship dedicated to St Andrew, in the town of Hexham, Northumberland.
A programme for inner peace, combining medieval sounds with the contemporary voices of Arvo Pärt, Will Todd and Anna Clyne.
In an age of resurgent conflict and frenetic demands on our attention, our 2025 Choral Pilgrimage: Angel of Peace offers a slice of tranquillity in many forms courtesy of luminous, purifying music traversing six centuries. From the enraptured songs of the medieval abbess Hildegard of Bingen to the magical realm of a brand new work by the contemporary composer Anna Clyne, nine pieces of music from across the centuries speak of peace and acceptance and the ecstatic joy their reassurance can bring.
This year’s tour takes its title from words by Cardinal Newman, set to music by Will Todd – ‘Let me be an angel of peace’. Newman’s meditation on the challenge of existence suggests life’s deepest valleys only help its highest mountains feel more wonderful. Perhaps, when we see that joy co-exists with sadness, we’ve been visited by our own Angel of Peace.
The Choral Pilgrimage 2025: Angel of Peace
Find out morePROGRAMME
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Hildegard of Bingen
Ave, generosa
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Arvo Pärt
Tribute to Caesar
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Will Todd
I shall be an angel of peace*
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John Taverner
Gaude plurimum
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Hildegard of Bingen
Ave, generosa
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Arvo Pärt
Da pacem Domine
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Anna Clyne
Orbits (New commission, world premiere)*
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Arvo Pärt
Magnificat
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John Taverner
O splendor gloriae
*with solo violin
PERFORMERS
- The Sixteen
- Harry Christophers conductor
- Sarah Sexton violin