On14th November 2026, within the warm, intimate interior ofKensington United Reformed Church, Red Events brings Pergolesi’s masterpiece back to London for one luminous evening —Giovanni Battista Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater, performed by the acclaimedMystery Ensemble, featuring sopranoAbigail Barkerand countertenorGleb Zakharovas soloists.

Written in the final weeks of Pergolesi’s life and premiered after his death, Stabat Mater has long been regarded as one of the most beautiful works of the Baroque era — a piece whose emotional radiance transcends time, faith, and genre.

A hymn of sorrow and celestial beauty, it has inspired composers from Bach to Vivaldi, and performers fromMontserrat CaballéandBarbara Hendricksto other legendary interpreters asCecilia Bartoli, Renée Fleming, Philippe Jaroussky, Nathalie Stutzmann, and Andreas Scholl— artists whose performances over the past century have elevated Pergolesi’s masterpiece to the highest international acclaim.

Now, in the heart of Kensington, this profound meditation on compassion and human fragility receives a new, intimate staging — conceived specifically for the intimate acoustics of Kensington United Reformed Church. A subtle, carefully crafted lighting design will shape the space throughout the performance, offering a contemporary visual reading that enhances rather than distracts, illuminating the emotional and architectural depth of Pergolesi’s masterpiece.

This one-night-only London performance offers a rare opportunity to experience three sections of Pergolesi’s masterpiece exactly as it would have sounded in his own time — performed in the authentic Neapolitan church pitch used in 18th-century Naples, in lower, warmer tuning which lends the music a darker, more velvety colour.

Programme:

Giovanni Battista Pergolesi — Stabat Mater(Complete performance, approx. 40 minutes)

Additional baroque selections by Mystery Ensemble will complete the evening

Description supplied by the event organiser.