Événement

Dan Forest's Requiem For The Living

A Requiem, at its core, is a prayer for rest - traditionally, for the deceased. The five movements of Dan Forrest's Requiem for the Living, (2013), however, form a narrative just as much for the living, and their own struggle with pain and sorrow, as for the dead. As Mr. Forrest states, Its a daunting task to set these ancient texts in a modern setting. I strove to write something appropriate to their gravity, and something that would make a lasting impression. I hope the end result does, indeed, profoundly affect the listeners- and performers as well. The movements travel through an ethereal opening section inspired by images of space from the Hubble Space Telescope, with images of our own planet as viewed from the International Space Station. The closing section brings the listener down to Earth, where cities teem with the energy of humanity. The final movement portrays light, peace, and rest- for both the deceased and the living.

Eliza Gilkyson is a Grammy nominated musician. She released her song Requiem in 2005. Coinciding with Hurricane Katrinas devastation, Requiem became a song of prayer and comfort to her listeners.

Also on the program are Moses Hogans I am His Child, and The Wedding by Hussein Jammmohamed, a Chorus America sponsored piece that commemorates the members of the composers family who survived a ferry disaster after a family wedding.