The feast of St Nicholas is the inspiration for this year’s Dawlish Choral Society Autumn Concert.

The society’s musical director Nicholas Gardiner has selected the St Nicholas Mass by Haydn.

There was often a church to St Nicholas by the harbour, writes Christina Siviter, where sailors could give thanks for a safe voyage, just like the one at Ringmore. This ancient church has stained glass windows, which tell of his patronage of sailors and merchants, and his protection of children. The roundel shows his miracle of restoring the three dead infants back to life, lifting their arms in praise. He was also renowned for giving to the poor, like the htree purses of gold to a poor man, as dowries to his daughters. This legend lives on as Santa Claus, to this day, coming up to Christmas.

December 6 is his Feast Day, and also the name day of Haydn’s employer, Prince Nicolaus of Esterhazy. The Mass was first performed in 1772 in his honour. It is a lively cheerful work. The usual seven parts are in our familiar Latin, with a small supporting orchestra.

The ‘Kyrie’ is sweet and dreamy, with soaring lines; the ‘Gloria’ is bouncing with joy, the choir almost yodelling. The ‘Credo’ declares the faith in the soloists’ quartet, with Haydn’s drifting suspensions, followed by an energetic reprise. The strings sustain the mood in the ‘Sanctus’ and in the ‘Benedictus’, with its comforting gentle blessing, leading onto ‘Dona Nobis Pacem’ for a clear and satisfying finale.

The concert takes place at 7.30pm on Tuesday December 2 at St Gregory’s Church in Dawlish.

Further information is available from Ailsa Spackman T: 01626 891584.

Dawlish Choral Society rehearses at 7.30pm on Monday evenings at the Manor House in Dawlish. New members are always welcome.