On November 9, Capella Regalis Choirs will present Haydn’s great masterpiece, Missa in angustiis (“Mass for troubled times”), in a free performance bringing together top professional singers and instrumentalists in Halifax, the young choristers of Capella Regalis Boys and Girls Choir, and four vocal soloists from across Canada.

The featured piece of this year’s concert was written by the Austrian composer Joseph Haydn in a time of political and financial instability in Europe caused by the Napoleonic Wars. The music resonates across the centuries, with parallels to political, economic, and social uncertainties in our time.

“My earliest recollections of hearing and being thrilled by ‘classical’ music feature Haydn most prominently,” says Capella Regalis Founder and Artistic Director, Nick Halley. “Missa in angustiis is arguably the most clear and forceful demonstration of his giftedness. He wrote a lot of superb sacred music, but I would be inclined to agree with the aficionados: this is his most powerful work.”

In addition to Haydn, the program will include works for Remembrancetide by Tomás Luis de Victoria (16th century) and Arvo Pärt (20th century).