2,000 singers from The Really Big Chorus will raise the roof in Verdi's Requiem—opera without the costumes and one of the most theatrical settings ever of the Latin Requiem Mass. Best known for his operas, Verdi responded to the drama in Catholic texts in much the same way that he responded to an opera libretto. With an ear for mood and effect, he contrasts the whispered prayers for the dead with a truly terrifying musical description of the Day of Judgement, depicting wrath, fire, eternal damnation, the last trumpet and the final prayers for mercy and eternal rest. And although Verdi surely had visions of the ‘heavenly hosts’ trumpeting and dancing their way around the Almighty when he composed the Sanctus, his inspiration for the Agnus Dei seems more likely to have been sinners pleading on earth.
Come along and prepare to be amazed. A team of young opera singers will dazzle with their virtuosity: Helena Dix (soprano), Catherine Hopper (mezzo-soprano), Andrew Staples (tenor) and Ashley Riches (bass-baritone); with orchestral accompaniment by the English Festival Orchestra. The whole evening is directed by TRBC's principal conductor, Brian Kay.
This concert also supports the National Autistic Society via programme sales and a silent auction.