The Concert

Join us for an intimate evening of candlelight and chamber music in the heart of north Leeds.

This programme brings together some of the most luminous chamber works in the repertoire — Bax, Handel, Halvorsen, Massenet, Debussy, and Bach — performed by candlelight in the beautiful setting of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church. From the shimmering colours of flute, viola, and harp to the raw intensity of solo violin, this is music designed to be felt as much as heard: intimate, atmospheric, and deeply human.

The evening opens with Bax's Elegiac Trio and Handel's Trio Sonata, both scored for the rare and radiant combination of flute, viola, and harp — a texture of extraordinary warmth and transparency. Halvorsen's Passacaglia, built on a theme by Handel, follows with a virtuosic dialogue for violin and viola that has become one of the great showpieces of the duo repertoire.

After the interval, Massenet's Méditation from Thaïs offers a moment of pure lyrical stillness, before Debussy's late, exquisite Sonata for flute, viola, and harp closes the instrumental programme with its shifting harmonies and dreamlike colour. The evening reaches its emotional peak with Bach's Ciaccona, performed here with singers and brought to life through live theatrical narration by Gabriel Mata — the same bold, immersive approach to Bach that has transformed how audiences experience his music, making its depth and drama accessible to every listener in the room.

Rooted in the community of St John Vianney Parish, this concert continues our mission to bring world-class music into the heart of north Leeds — an evening of candlelight, connection, and quiet wonder.