Ethel Smyth: Mass in D

Presented by: Peter Fender

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0	LONDON: St Cyprian's Clarence Gate
P	Saturday 16th May, 2026
N	7:00pm

Event information

Ethel Smyth, known in particular for her Suffragette activities alongside Emmeline Pankhurst, composed this Mass in 1891. In doing so, she defied convention by writing a powerful, large-scale work, far from the drawing room ditties considered acceptable for a woman to compose. It shows her deep spirituality and her compositional skill in blending Romantic richness with contrapuntal mastery, reflecting influences from Brahms and Wagner whilst asserting her own voice. The Mass in D is both devotional and dramatic, moving between moments of introspection and grandeur. Don't miss this rare performance!

Helen Semple, soprano
Lydia. Shariff, mezzo-soprano
John Upperton, tenor
Jim Clements, baritone

Six Centuries Chamber Choir
South London Sinfonietta (George Mattar, leader)

Peter Fender, conductor