A new cantata by local composer Alexander Flood will receive its world premiere as part of a concert in St Albans next Saturday, November 19.

Radlett Choral Society will be performing his Born in Flight at 7.30pm in St Saviour’s church, Sandpit Lane.

The cantata sets three poems dating back to one of the most horrific conflicts in European history, the Thirty Years’ War.

The conflict was fought for both political and religious 400 years ago between all the great powers of the time.

It laid waste to vast areas of what is now Germany and scarred the psyche of its people for centuries.

The poetry of Born in Flight reflects the matter-of-fact response of people of the time to the uncertainty and transience of life. The final section of the cantata sets a lament for a baby born as a refugee who died only a few days later.

There are clear parallels between that time in Europe and today in the Middle East and the sounds of the cantata combine elements of music from both time periods.

Composer Alexander, who will also be conducting the performance, said: “Serious composers today sometimes find it difficult to write music that can connect with and move an audience.

“I hope that Born in Flight can spark across from the performers to the listeners and provide a memorable and dramatic expression of poetry that is as relevant to our lives today as when it was written.”

The concert also includes two compositions by Gabriel Fauré, his Requiem and Cantique de Jean Racine, as well as Bach’s short Cantata 18.

The choir will perform with the Mariana Ensemble featuring soprano, Sarah Gabriel, and bass, Samuel Evans.

Tickets at £12, accompanied children under 16 free, are available from RCS Box Office 01923 226836/243545, or on the door.