I was proud to be asked to sing the solo in Felix Mendelssohn’s best-known soprano piece, Hear My Prayer, in a recent concert.

The Humberstone Choral Society in Leicester devoted its concert on May 20th to recognising the births of Henry Purcell in 1659 and of Felix Bartholdy Mendelssohn in 1809, and the deaths of Georg Frideric Handel in 1759 and of Franz Joseph Haydn in 1809.

Hear My Prayer, a piece for soprano and SATB choir, is a paraphrase of Psalm 55. The piece segues into the very well known O for the wings of a dove, based on verses 6-7 of the psalm:

Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest. Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness.

I also sang the top soprano line in the trio for Purcell’s Benedicite Omnia Opera, an altogether more jolly piece.

During the second, secular half of the concert, I took on the role of Bloody Mary from South Pacific, singing Bali Hai and Happy Talk.