The Renaissance Choir is putting on a concert in Petersfield later this month with music from four historical eras in Germany.

Taking place at St Peter’s Church on Saturday, March 29 at 7.30pm, the audience will get to hear tunes from the Renaissance, Baroque, Classical and Romantic periods.

Following Martin Luther’s campaigning in the 16 century, the Reformation led to the majority of German churches putting more emphasis on the importance of singing by the congregation and of having an understanding of the services.

Many of the great German composers such as Bach, Handel, Schütz and Beethoven followed in this Protestant tradition. The works the choir is singing in the concert all have a sense of a clear, direct link between the ordinary person and their God.

The choir will be singing Bach – Komm Jesu Komm; Beethoven – Mass in C; a selection of Bruckner’s Motets and Hassler – Deus, Deus meus. Full price tickets are £15 until Saturday, March 22, then £17, and under-25s pay £2. Tickets are available from TicketSource via www.renaissancechoir.org.uk, One Tree Books in Petersfield or on the door.

The Renaissance Choir is a group of around 34 singers from West Sussex and Hampshire who enjoy the challenge and fun of singing A cappella, though some of the singing is accompanied. They also like to split their singers into separate choirs so to achieve additional effects.

Music of the Renaissance period is at the heart of the choir’s repertoire, and they try to perform lesser-known music or to premiere new works or arrangements, some of which are written for them. In its programming, the choir try to make its music accessible by performing something for everyone.

They often seek to place the works they are performing in a historical context and establish links between the music, the artists and art that are contemporaneous with it.