[1][2] In 1898, Delius had written a male choir and orchestral setting of "Midnight Song" from the same work, and this was revised to form part of the Mass.
[1] Eine Messe des Lebens is the largest of Delius's concert works, being written for four SATB soloists, double choir and orchestra.
[1] In September 2022 the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir performed the Norwegian premiere of the work, conducted by Mark Elder and with Roderick Williams singing the lead role of Zarathustra.
[4] In a collaborative project supported by the Delius Trust, Choir of the Earth, led by Musical Director/Conductor Ben England, worked closely with Bergen Philharmonic Choir to create a first-of-its-kind performance, blending a live performance with individual voices recorded in choristers' homes around the world.
At the Bergen premiere in September 2022, Choir of the Earth's sound engineers captured high-fidelity recordings and used these to produce guide tracks, allowing choristers around the world to record their voices at home in perfect synchronicity with the Bergen Philharmonic Choir.