It is not often that members of St Matthews choir scream 'since Fate strikes down the strong man, everyone weep with me!', or when they are in a more cheerful mood, 'My virginity makes me frisky, my simplicity holds me back. Oh, Oh, Oh, I am completely coming to life'. All this while the men strain their belts and shirts singing a bawdy drinking song. However, this is Carmina Burana, one of the most popular works for choir and orchestra of the 20th Century.

Many people be familiar with the opening and closing music of Carmina Burana. The 'O Fortuna' chorus with its dramatic chanting against orchestral backing has appeared in hundreds of films, the whole piece has been arranged and rearranged for all sorts of groups, there are rock versions and spoofs such as Carmina Banana. But it is probably most famous following its use for many years in the TV advert for Old Spice. And, since imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, there is more than a hint of the same chorus in the sound track of the film The Fellowship of the Ring, particularly to accompany the Black Riders

But Carmina Burana is not all dramatic chanting - there is plenty of lyrical and gentle playing and singing, merry dances and of course the aforementioned drink and sex. The work lasts about an hour in performance and requires baritone, tenor and soprano solo singers as well as the choir and a Verdi sized orchestra, complete with added percussion and piano.

As for the Chichester psalms, this is Bernstein's view of them:

The Psalms are a simple and modest affair,
Tonal and tuneful and somewhat square,
Certain to sicken a stout John Cager
With its tonics and triads in E flat major.

The music of Chichester Psalms is essentially American, incorporating within its core 'classical' style elements of Bernstein's beloved jazz, blues and Broadway music. When commissioning the work the dean of Chichester Cathedral mentioned that 'many of us would be delighted if there was a hint of West Side Story about the music'. Bernstein duly obliged.

In this performance we will be using the full orchestral version of both pieces. We are sure that you will be as moved by the exquisite simplicity of a Westminster Abbey choirboy, William Fairbairn, singing alone with a harp, as you will be by the sheer power and might of the full brass and percussion sections, with over 100 musicians giving their all.