In his austere and moving Requiem, Fauré combines a deep reverence for its subject with great understanding of the text. The piece has an enduring musical simplicity and enjoys a uniquely hallowed position in the pantheon of great choral works. Fauré was a renowned organist and teacher, and his compositions are imbued with an intimacy and subtlety at odds with those of his more vainglorious contemporaries. His is a voice of contemplation and solitude, utterly at ease with itself. The Requiem is in many ways the perfect music for our time.
Petros Singers' concert will feature three of Fauré’s shorter works: the evergreen Cantique de Jean Racine, the less familiar Tantum Ergo op. 55, and a choral arrangement of his seminal Pavane. We will also be performing two works by Lili Boulanger, a prodigiously talented pupil of Fauré, who became the first female composer to win the prestigious Prix de Rome in 1913. Tragically, she suffered ill health throughout her life, and died at the age of just 24.
We are delighted to be joined by baritone, Robert Davies and soprano, Alice Gribbin. The accompaniment will be provided by an orchestra of strings, horns, harp, organ and timpani.
