HAYDN : THE CREATION

with professional soloists

and professional orchestral players

 

SATURDAY 25TH APRIL 2026

All Saints’ Church Brenchley 7.30

 

Franz Joseph Haydn was one of the most successful and famous composers in Europe and on a visit to London he became the darling of the English aristocracy. While here he heard some of Handel’s music, including Messiah, and before long began to hatch ideas of composing an oratorio himself.

 

He was presented with a libretto (the words) compiled from the story of the creation of the world as described by John Milton in his epic poem Paradise Lost and the Book of Genesis from the Bible. In 1796 Haydn began to compose The Creation which was a huge success in Vienna and was quickly performed throughout Europe.

 

The opening orchestral introduction The Representation of Chaos is famous as Haydn paints in music the dark, frightening void just prior to creation: it has been aptly described a ‘the Big Bang expressed in music’, and was way ahead of its time. Famous too is the chorus The heavens are telling the Glory of God’.

 

The oratorio was composed at a time when most people were creationists before advances in science had presented a credible alternative. It is occasionally criticised for its dated naïve and simplistic view of the world but Haydn’s genius emerges in his delight in musical descriptions of the simple awestruck wonder of God and Nature: of thunder and lightening as the sky is created, foaming billows of the sea, the roar of the lion and the bouncing of the flexible tiger to name but a few.

 

The Creation was written for soprano, tenor and bass and we are delighted that Seohyun Go (sop) has readily agreed to join us again this year.