The War Requiem, Op. 66, is a large-scale, non-liturgical setting of the Requiem composed by Benjamin Britten mostly in 1961 and completed in January 1962. The War Requiem was performed for the consecration of the new Coventry Cathedral, which was built after the original fourteenth-century structure was destroyed in a World War II bombing raid. The traditional Latin texts are interspersed, in telling juxtaposition, with settings of poems by Wilfred Owen, written in World War I.
The work is scored for soprano, tenor and baritone soloists, chorus, boys’ choir, organ, and two orchestras (a full orchestra and a chamber orchestra). The chamber orchestra accompanies the intimate settings of the English poetry, while soprano, choirs and orchestra are used for the Latin sections; all forces are combined in the conclusion. The Requiem has a duration of approximately 90 minutes. (Wikipedia)
The Philharmonia Choir is joining forces with the Symphony Choir of Johannesburg, the Dresden Singakademie adult and children’s choirs, and the St. Cyprian’s School Choir (in Cape Town only). The Saxonia Youth Orchestra will be accompanying us, along with the Philharmonia Chamber Orchestra in Cape Town. This large number of performers, who will be arranged in three separate groups during the performance, will require three conductors! The concert has been two years in the planning, and promises to be a unique and profound experience for the performers and audience alike.
16 October 2018, 7:30 pm
Linder Auditorium, Johannesburg
19 October 2018, 8 pm
Every Nation Church, N1 City, Cape Town