Britten’s War Requiem is irrefutably one of the most significant symphonic choral works of the 20th Century - a passionate statement of the futility and senselessness of war.
QPAC, 16 September 2023
00:00 Opening
00:54 Welcome to Country
07:19 Requiem aeterna
18:25 Dies irae
45:22 Offertorium
55:32 Sanctus
01:05:43 Agnus dei
01:09:43 Libera me
FEATURING
Conductor Simon Hewett
Soloists Eva Kong (soprano), Andrew Goodwin (tenor), Hadleigh Adams (baritone)
Brisbane Philharmonic Orchestra
Ensemble Q
Brisbane Chorale
Canticum Chamber Choir
Voices of Birralee
This performance took place at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre on the 16th of September, 2023. It brought together five of Brisbane's finest ensembles, spanning a range of professional and community performers. The work is scored on the largest imaginable scale employing two separate orchestras, full adult choir, children's choir, and three vocal soloists.
Originally commissioned to mark the consecration of the new Coventry Cathedral - which was built after the original 14th-century structure was destroyed in a World War II bombing raid - Britten, a pacifist and conscientious objector, chose to set the Latin text of the Requiem Mass with nine poems by the celebrated English war poet, Wilfred Owen.
Presented by QPAC, Brisbane Chorale, Brisbane Philharmonic Orchestra and Canticum Chamber Choir in association with Brisbane Festival and Brisbane City Council.
This project was generously supported by the Australian Government's Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) Fund.
The Creative Sparks Fund is a partnership between the Queensland Government and Brisbane City Council to support local arts and culture in Brisbane.
Brisbane Festival is an initiative of the Queensland Government and Brisbane City Council.
Video by David Pawsey.
Audio production by 4MBS Classic FM.
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