This programme brings together four luminous works of French and American sacred music. Gabriel Fauré’s youthful Cantique de Jean Racine, with its flowing lines and glowing harmonies, opens a path towards the distinctive tenderness of his later music, while Morten Lauridsen’s radiant Lux Aeterna envelops the listener in richly coloured harmonies and a profound sense of spiritual light. Gounod’s charming Petite Symphonie, written for wind ensemble, provides an elegant instrumental contrast with its graceful melodies, refinement and wit. The concert culminates in Fauré’s beloved Requiem, whose gentle, consoling vision of rest and eternal peace brings the programme to a deeply moving conclusion