On April 30, 2023, Northwest Choral Society is proud to present Requiem, a concert program exploring life, death, and resurrection. The centerpiece of the concert is Maurice Duruflé’s profoundly moving work, Requiem, Op. 9. In this intimate setting arranged by the composer for chorus with organ accompaniment, listeners will delight in the detailed interplay of the voices and the many colors of the organ part, which calls for an organist of considerable virtuosity. NWCS is excited to partner with Chicago-area organist Meg Cutting, who is a superb and sensitive musical collaborator as well as a seasoned performer of this work. The Requiem, while certainly expressing a wide range of colors and emotions, is primarily a work of peace and comfort based heavily on themes derived from the timeless plainchants of the Requiem Mass, and is regarded as one of the finest choral works of the twentieth century.
The second half of the program features music of resurrection, approached from both a sacred and a secular point of view. Music of Jacob Druckman, Stacey Gibbs, Craig Hella Johnson, Healey Willan, and William H. Harris all speak to a spirit of rebirth and renewal, and point toward the joyful energy of springtime! Join us for this moving and exciting musical exploration of life and song.
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