Chorus pro Musica, led by Artistic Director Jeffrey Rink, performs two profound yet contrasting Requiem settings by Roger Ames and Gabriel Fauré on Friday, November 9, 2007 at 8 pm at Old South Church, 645 Boylston Street, Copley Square, Boston. The performance features soloists David Murray, baritone, and Ilana Davidson, soprano.
Modeled after Benjamin Britten's magnificent War Requiem, the Requiem for Our Time by American composer Roger Ames merges the haunting, contemporary poetry of the late Boston-based poet Anne Sexton with traditional Latin texts to create a modern context for the ancient and moving remembrance of the dead. The piece premiered in 1985 (in a performance conducted by Jeffrey Rink) as “Requiem for Unbelievers.” This will be its first New England performance. Roger Ames (b. 1944) is a noted composer of operas and vocal works, including Amistad and In Memoriam: Warsaw 1943.
Writer, poet, and playwright Anne Sexton (1928–1974), who won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1966, was appointed lecturer of creative writing at Boston University in 1970 and two years later promoted to full professor. Breaking from 1950s expectations of a suburban woman's role, Sexton pioneered a radical, new form of poetry, writing openly about family, sexuality, joy and despair.
Gabriel Fauré (1845–1924), completed his Requiem in 1901, drawing melodic inspiration from the tunes and rhythms of Gregorian chant. Considered by many as the composer's greatest achievement, it is a profound testament of faith, with an ethereal beauty that has made it one of the most-beloved Requiem settings of our time.
The concert is reserved seating. Tickets are $25, $35 or $45, with discounts available for seniors, students, WGBH members, and parties of 6 or more. -- www.choruspromusica.org
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