And There Was Light: A Glorious Finale to Heritage Open Days

After ten days exploring more than a thousand years of Tavistock’s history, what better way could there be to bring Heritage Open Days 2026 to a close than with one of the most joyous and spectacular works in the choral repertoire?

On the final evening of the festival, St Eustachius’ Church will provide the magnificent setting for God’s Work: Music from Haydn’s The Creation, performed by the Tavistock Heritage Chorus.

And this promises to be much more than simply a closing concert.

Haydn’s The Creation takes us back to the very beginning: from darkness and chaos to the appearance of light, the heavens, seas and landscape, followed by plants, animals and ultimately humankind.

It is music bursting with colour, imagination and sheer delight.

“And there was light…”

Few moments in choral music are more dramatic than Haydn’s depiction of the creation of light.

The work begins almost mysteriously, as Haydn attempts to portray the formless chaos before creation. Then comes one of music’s great theatrical surprises as darkness is suddenly shattered by the arrival of light.

When The Creation was first performed publicly in Vienna in 1799, audiences were captivated.

More than two centuries later, its ability to surprise, uplift and exhilarate remains undiminished.

Haydn fills his musical universe with wonderfully vivid pictures. We hear the sunrise, rushing waters and rolling seas. Birds take flight, animals appear and the natural world gradually awakens.

It is music that invites you to see as well as hear.

Music in an Historic Setting

For the Heritage Open Days finale, there could hardly be a more atmospheric setting than St Eustachius’ Church.

For centuries this building has stood at the heart of Tavistock, witnessing generations of the town’s history. Its walls have heard worship, celebration, mourning and music through countless changing lives.

For one evening, that historic space will be filled with Haydn’s vision of the creation of the world.

The Tavistock Heritage Chorus brings together a choir of over 50 local voices especially for this performance, making the concert a celebration not only of great music but of the community that lies at the heart of Heritage Open Days.

And there is something rather wonderful about ending the festival this way.

Over ten days we will have travelled through Tavistock’s history, from its early medieval beginnings and the foundation of the Abbey through centuries of faith, industry, architecture, work and everyday life.

Then, for our final event, we go right back to the beginning of everything.

A Festival Finale to Remember

You certainly don’t need to be a classical music expert to enjoy The Creation.

Haydn intended this music to communicate directly with his audience. It is dramatic, accessible, sometimes playful and frequently breathtaking. The great choruses have an infectious energy, while the quieter passages capture the wonder of a newly created world.

That makes it an ideal finale for a festival devoted to discovering and celebrating our heritage.

Heritage Open Days is ultimately about bringing people together: opening buildings, sharing knowledge, telling stories and seeing familiar places through fresh eyes.

On the final evening, we will do exactly that through music.

Join us in St Eustachius’ Church as the Tavistock Heritage Chorus brings Heritage Open Days 2026 to a glorious conclusion with music from Haydn’s The Creation.

After forty-plus events, ten extraordinary days and more than a thousand years of Tavistock history, there is surely only one appropriate way to finish.

Let there be light.

The concert is free, booking is not essential - just save the date !