Under the baton of musical director David Temple MBE, Hertfordshire Chorus returns to St Albans Cathedral on February 17 to perform Beethoven’s Mass in C and Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 2, Hymn of Praise in B flat Major.

Last year the chorus released of a CD of two of their modern commissions, Codebreaker by James McCarthy and Ode to a Nightingale by Will Todd. The CD was recorded with the BBC Concert Orchestra at Watford Colosseum and was released by Signum Records. The CD reached number 7 in the Classical Music Charts and has been played several times on Radio 3 and Classic FM.

The chorus will be accompanied by the London Orchestra Da Camera and a fine array of renowned soloists. Ashley Riches (bass) and Kitty Whately (mezzo-soprano) have both sung with the choir before during their flourishing solo careers. Kitty Whately has become one of the country’s best loved soloists and has attracted many accolades including winning the Kathleen Ferrier Award in 2012.

In the last year Ashley Riches has sung with Sir John Eliot Gardiner and the Berlin Philharmonic and sang the Pirate King in Mike Leigh’s Pirates of Penzance at the English National Opera. Ashley Riches and Kitty Whately are both BBC New Generation Artists.

Grace Davidson (soprano) who was featured in the TV series, Sacred Music has worked extensively with American composer Eric Whitacre. Joshua Ellicott (tenor) has performed with many fine orchestras and conductors round the world including Nikolaus Harnoncourt in Vienna and Harry Christophers and The Sixteen.