THE Birmingham Bach Choir are heading to Pershore Abbey this weekend, to celebrate 500 years of French classical music.

And one of the big attractions will be a performance of Gabriel Faure's much-loved Requiem.

A spokesman said: "First performed in the late 19th century, and believed to have been written for his late father, Requiem features some of Fauré’s most beautiful melodies.

"Very different from many earlier traditional Catholic masses for the dead, here the drama and fright of the Last Judgement has been replaced by an astonishing peace and calm."

The spokesman added: "Accompanying Fauré's masterpiece is a selection of complementary pieces by French composers spanning 500 years, both familiar and lesser known.

"Of the latter, Dominique Phinot's Pater peccavi in caelum and Gloria will be a revelation to those unfamiliar with the composer. Though clearly skilled, innovative and also prolific - in the region of 150 pieces are attributed to him - little is known about Phinot’s life, though it’s believed he was executed for his sexuality in the mid-1500s, tragically cutting short an impressive career."

"The French are a nation of romantics at heart," says Paul Spicer, the choir’s music director and conductor.

He said: "Their language is a sensual one and their music is often a reflection of this."

Birmingham Bach Choir's Requiem can be heard at Pershore Abbey, Pershore, Worcestershire, this Saturday June 17, and is repeated at St Philip's Cathedral, Birmingham, on Saturday June 24.

For tickets and more information call 07901 798442 or see: www.birmingham.bachchoir.com