Magisterial’ … ‘majestic’ … ‘sublime’ … ‘moving’ … are among the words often used to describe Johann Sebastian Bach’s Mass in B minor, which Hereford Choral Society will perform with Marches Baroque orchestra on Saturday, March 23 in Hereford Cathedral, conducted by Geraint Bowen.

The music is full of contrast and drama, requiring virtuosic skill and stamina from vocal soloists, orchestra and choir. Performing the B minor Mass is on most choral singers’ bucket lists, and it is a thrilling and immersive experience for the audience too. This magnificent creation, conceived on a grand scale, has the power to uplift, inspire and spiritually enrich the souls of all who listen. You don’t need any special knowledge or understanding of classical music to feel all the human emotion it expresses or to experience its transformational power of joy. If you’re human, this music is for you.

Celebrities including Roald Dahl, Michael Crawford and Douglas Adams chose Bach’s B minor Mass as one of their Desert Island Discs, and many people consider it the greatest single human achievement in the art and science of music. But perhaps the composer Michael Torke summed it up best when he said: "Why waste money on psychotherapy when you can listen to the B minor Mass."

Hereford Choral Society’s performance features soloists Zoë Brookshaw (soprano), Ciara Hendrick (mezzo-soprano), Thomas Herford (tenor) and William Gaunt (baritone).

Tickets are available via The Courtyard box office on 01432 340555 or online at courtyard.org.uk or herefordchoralsociety.org. Unreserved tickets are also available from Hereford Cathedral Shop.