Settle Orchestra and Langcliffe Singers Reunite for Beethoven’s Mass in C

A celebrated partnership returns for a major Spring 2026 performance

Settle / Skipton, Yorkshire Dales – January 2026 – Settle Orchestra is pleased to announce its Spring 2026 concert, bringing together orchestra and choir in a significant collaboration with the Langcliffe Singers for a performance of Beethoven’s Mass in C. The programme also features Beethoven’s dramatic Egmont Overture and Mendelssohn’s chorale cantata O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden.

This concert continues a long-standing musical partnership between Settle Orchestra and the Langcliffe Singers, whose previous collaborations — including a much-praised performance of Brahms’ Requiem — have become highlights of the local classical music calendar.

Conducted by Andre Chan, Settle Orchestra’s 2025–26 season conductor and a postgraduate conductor at the Royal Northern College of Music, the performance explores Beethoven’s expressive sacred writing, balancing intimacy with dramatic power.

“Beethoven’s Mass in C is a deeply human piece,” says Andre Chan. “It moves between moments of quiet reflection and passages of great intensity. Performing it with the Langcliffe Singers, and in venues that are so central to the life of our communities, makes this project particularly rewarding.”

The programme opens with Beethoven’s Egmont Overture, a stirring musical portrayal of courage and resistance, before leading into Mendelssohn’s contemplative chorale. At its heart, the Mass in C reveals Beethoven at a pivotal moment — lyrical, searching and full of emotional clarity.

Charles Dobson, Chairman of Settle Orchestra, highlights the importance of the collaboration:

“Our partnership with the Langcliffe Singers has developed over many years and is built on mutual respect and shared musical ambition. These joint projects allow us to tackle substantial choral-orchestral works and to present them locally at a very high standard — something we are proud to offer our audiences.”

For the Langcliffe Singers, the collaboration reflects both continuity and artistic challenge.

Darren Everhart, Musical Director of the Langcliffe Singers, says:
“Beethoven’s writing in the Mass in C is wonderfully direct and demanding. It asks a lot of the choir, but it also gives so much in return. Working again with Settle Orchestra is a real pleasure — there is a strong sense of trust that has grown through previous performances together.”

That sense of shared history is echoed by Margaret Coleman, Chair of Trustees, Langcliffe Singers:

“Our choir has enjoyed a close and productive relationship with Settle Orchestra over many years. These collaborations are always special — they bring singers and instrumentalists together around ambitious repertoire and create performances that feel truly collective and celebratory.”

Together, the two ensembles continue their commitment to bringing large-scale classical music to audiences across the Yorkshire Dales, combining professional leadership with strong community roots.

Concert Details

Saturday 21 March 2026 – 3.30pm
Settle Parish Church

Sunday 29 March 2026 – 3:30pm
Christ Church, Skipton

Programme

• Beethoven – Egmont Overture
• Mendelssohn – O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden
• Beethoven – Mass in C
  (with the Langcliffe Singers)

About Settle Orchestra

Settle Orchestra presents inspiring orchestral concerts in Settle and Skipton, working in close partnership with the Royal Northern College of Music to nurture the next generation of professional conductors and to bring high-quality classical music to the Yorkshire Dales. This collaboration is made possible with the support of Northern Rail covering the conductor’s weekly train transport from Manchester to Settle.

About Langcliffe Singers

Langcliffe Singers is a community choir founded in 1984 and based in Settle. Its members are drawn from across the northwestern Yorkshire Dales and nearby Lancashire. No audition is required to join us, and we welcome all who love or would like to try choral singing. We present three concerts each year, often working with professional soloists, and our repertoire ranges from large choral works such as The Messiah, Elijah or The Creation to modern classical works, opera and show songs.

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