Taking place at Chichester Cathedral on Saturday 24 April, the University’s Chamber Choir and the Chichester Chorale will perform Michael Tippett’s A Child Of Our Time, accompanied by the University’s Chamber Orchestra.

Arthur Robson, Director of Choral Studies at the University of Chichester, said: “A Child Of Our Time is an emotionally charged masterpiece and is a magnificent work for soloists, choir and orchestra. It uses spirituals to intensify the narrative, in the same way as Bach uses chorales in his St Matthew Passion. The Gala Concert is one of the highlights of the University’s music calendar, and we expect to have a full house at the Cathedral as in previous years.”

The chorales tell the story of the 17-year-old German/Polish Jew Herschel Grynszpan, who shot a German official at the Paris embassy in 1938, an act that triggered a chain of events that eventually led to start of the Holocaust. They also explore the theme of oppression in general, and attempt to draw a moral from the events.

The work was started by Tippett in 1939 and took two years to complete. However, as a conscientious objector, he was imprisoned during part of 1943, meaning the first performance of A Child Of Our Time was in March 1944 at the Adelphi Theatre, London.

The audience at the concert will also hear work composed by Ferdinand Ries, performed by soloist Adam Swayne and conducted by Crispin Ward, both from the University.

Tickets are now on sale from the Cathedral box office by calling 01243 813595, or from the Cathedral Shop.