appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Christopher Halls

Ending the week with a requiem and a mass may sound like an overload of gravitas. Yet for their Hong Kong Arts Festival (HKAF) concert on March 6, Sir John Eliot Gardiner and his Constellation Choir and Orchestra (CCO) gave Mozart’s two sacred works a buoyancy and transparency that was more uplifting than anything else.
This was the Hong Kong debut of Gardiner’s new ensemble, founded in 2024 after an unfortunate incident that led to his departure from the Monteverdi Choir and Orchestra, which he had headed for six decades.
For context: in August 2023, the Britain-born conductor reportedly took the idea of a “punchy performance” too far, slapping and punching the English bass singer William Thomas for exiting the podium on the wrong side during Les Troyens, the opera by Berlioz.
After undergoing cognitive mental therapy, an extended period of reflection and presumably a few anger management sessions, the disgraced octogenarian has managed to stage a comeback with the CCO. In Hong Kong, they kicked off the first of their two HKAF concerts with a compelling account of Mozart’s Requiem.
The orchestra impressed with its attention to detail and colourful musicality, dispelling the myth that Britain’s bustling early music scene prizes neatness and polish over real depth.

The introductory “Introitus”, with its heartbeat-like rhythm, was profound yet never cumbersome, balancing earthiness with ethereality.
Liverpool-born Joseph Murphy was a resonant and strong bass in “Tuba mirum”. Though the sound of rolled “Rs” in the “Rex tremendae” became too insistent and somewhat forced as the music swelled, the skill and variety of tonal colour exhibited by all four vocal soloists was a delight.
The “Confutatis” startled with its contrasts, oscillating between a punchy and gritty rhythm and moments of angelic tenderness as sopranos hovered in their otherworldly register. The natural horns, trumpets and a terrific trio of trombones added further grit and colour to the “Domine Jesu”.
When the entire CCO ensemble filled the cavernous hall with their most resplendent sound, as they did in the “Sanctus”, it became clear that the depth extracted from their period instruments easily matched modern ones, albeit with a distinctive character and warmth.
Following the intermission came the Great Mass in C Minor, or at least half of a Mass since Mozart abandoned the work for reasons that remain unclear.
The “Kyrie”, one of the sections he did complete, was marked by strong diction throughout the choir, each clearly enunciated “K” executed with collective precision.
Thomas Dunford, the lone lutenist curiously added to the continuo section, strummed enthusiastically, though from the upper balcony the instrument offered little more than percussive sparkle and visual effect.












View this post on Instagram























A post shared by Springhead Constellation (@springheadconstellation)



Sopranos Lenneke Ruiten and Sam Cobb gave a masterclass in diction in the “Domine Deus”, while Birmingham-born Cobb captivated earlier with her pure coloratura singing in the “Laudamus te”.
When both sopranos were then joined by Welsh tenor Gareth Treseder for the “Jesu Christe”, the trio relished their interweaving lines and exuded plenty of character and musical joy along the way.
In arguably the most tender part of the Mass, the “Et incarnatus est”, the first (and only) appearance of Rachel Beckett’s fine flute sound emerged from a gentle sway of warm, muted strings, creating a backdrop of pure pastoral serenity.
Tight, compact ensemble playing distinguished the “Sanctus” as well. The final “Benedictus” – of which nothing remains from Mozart’s hand – developed into a dexterous ebb and flow between the four soloists. In Gardiner’s hands, it was shaped into a powerful, life-affirming conclusion.
“Sir John Eliot Gardiner and the Constellation Choir & Orchestra”, Hong Kong Arts Festival, Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall. Reviewed: March 6.


Could hit musical Hamilton be coming to Hong Kong in 2027?

Hong Kong Ballet to move to city’s first dedicated dance venue in 2027

The inspiring story of Hong Kong dancer and filmmaker who began at 48 after leaving Apple

Hong Kong theatre legend Fredric Mao launches foundation to boost city’s performing arts

Performing arts in Hong Kong

Sir John Eliot Gardiner’s CCO plays sumptuous Mozart at Hong Kong Arts Festival concert

Sir John Eliot Gardiner and his Constellation Choir and Orchestra performed two Mozart works at the Hong Kong Arts Festival on March 6. This was the Hong Kong debut of Gardiner’s new ensemble, founded in 2024. Photo: Hong Kong Arts Festival

The CCO performed Mozart’s Requiem and Great Mass in C Minor at the Hong Kong Arts Festival. Photo: Hong Kong Arts Festival

Caravaggio ballet performance in Hong Kong a work of stunning beauty and power

Roberto Bolle and Maria Khoreva dance in a previous performance of Caravaggio in Europe. The Hong Kong show was part of the programme for the 2026 Hong Kong Arts Festival. Photo: Dennis Cursio

A scene from Caravaggio at the Teatro Carlo Felice, in Genoa, Italy, in December 2025. Photo: Instagram/robertobolle 

Stella Cole Quartet delivers delightful set of jazz and film classics in Hong Kong

Stella Cole performs with the Stella Cole Quartet at the Tea House Theatre at Hong Kong’s Xiqu Centre, in the West Kowloon Cultural District, on March 3, 2026. Photo: Kenny Cheung / Premiere Performances of Hong Kong

Michael Kanan and Stella Cole perform with the Stella Cole Quartet at the Xiqu Centre’s Tea House Theatre on March 3, 2026. Photo: Kenny Cheung / Premiere Performances of Hong Kong

(From left) Michael Kanan, Stella Cole and Mikey Migliore perform with the Stella Cole Quartet at the Xiqu Centre’s Tea House Theatre on March 3, 2026. Photo: Kenny Cheung / Premiere Performances of Hong Kong

Hong Kong group brings ancient Silk Road murals’ musical depictions to life

Musicians from the Hong Kong Gaudeamus Dunhuang Ensemble perform in front of the Nine-Storey Pagoda at the Mogao Caves at Dunhuang, in northwest China’s Gansu province. Photo: Simon Song

Murals in the Mogao Caves include depictions of some 4,500 musical instruments and 500 ensembles. Photo: Jonathan Wong

(From left) Kam Shing-hei, Leonie Ki and Chu Kai-yeung, from the Hong Kong Gaudeamus Dunhuang Ensemble, at the Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre in Shek Kip Mei. Photo: Jonathan Wong

A Tang-dynasty-style sheng (left) and xun are displayed at the Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Cecilia Cheung: Hong Kong actress, sex scandal victim and Chinese social media star

Cecilia Cheung at the 23rd Hong Kong Film Awards in 2004. The actress’ personal life garnered a lot of attention in the 2000s, with tabloids covering scandals and her high-profile romantic life. Photo: SCMP

Cheung in 1999. Photo: Oliver Tsang

Cheung speaks after receiving the award for best new performer, as veteran actors Liza Wang and Danny Lee look on, at the 19th Hong Kong Film Awards in 2000. Photo: Martin Chan

Cheung and Nicholas Tse in 2001. Photo: Reuters

Cheung in a still from Lost in Time (2003), for which she won best actress at the 23rd Hong Kong Film Awards. Photo: China Star Entertainment Group

Cheung and Tse at the 30th Hong Kong Film Awards in 2011, the year they filed for divorce. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

Cheung and Stephen Chow in a still from King of Comedy (1999). Her feature-film debut remains one of her most memorable roles. Photo: The Star Overseas

Cheung and her three sons. Photo: Weibo

Cheung in a photo she posted on her Weibo account in 2023. Photo: Weibo

Lifestyle

Arts

Culture

Music

The Hong Kong debut of Gardiner’s Constellation Choir and Orchestra was impressive in its attention to detail and colourful musicality


The Hong Kong debut of Gardiner’s Constellation Choir and Orchestra was impressive in its attention to detail and colourful musicality.


Hong Kong Arts Festival

World of performing arts

An assessment or critique of a service, product or creative endeavour.  Film reviews, restaurant reviews, reviews of art exhibitions. (Eg. Crazy Rich Asians: an important film, yes, but a good one?)


Review

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The Hong Kong debut of Gardiner’s Constellation Choir and Orchestra was impressive in its attention to detail and colourful musicality

The Hong Kong debut of Gardiner’s Constellation Choir and Orchestra was impressive in its attention to detail and colourful musicality