Bournemouth Symphony Chorus brings Britten’s War Requiem to Hiroshima for a landmark 2025 performance.
What happens when an innovative chorus, a chorus director with a dream and a generous sponsor get together?
For many years Bournemouth Symphony Chorus Director, Gavin Carr cherished a dream of taking a chorus to Japan to perform Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem, the iconic work written for the consecration of Coventry Cathedral following its rebuilding after the horrendous bombing during the second World War. Bournemouth Symphony Chorus (BSC) regularly tours outside the UK, and has performed extensively in Europe and further afield in USA and Asia, so were certainly prepared to consider such an ambitious project.
Organising a large-scale choral work in Japan is an enormous undertaking, not least because of the financial investment needed. Without serious financial support this project would have remained a pipedream, however, Gavin mentioned his idea to an arts patron who understood the potential and also recognised that Gavin with the BSC was an exciting combination. The generosity of this individual has also extended to a Bursary scheme to support young professional singers being included in the project, some of whom are alumni of Bournemouth Symphony Youth Chorus.
2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the devastating bombing of Hiroshima and a very profound moment to be performing Britten’s War Requiem at Phoenix Hall, Peace Memorial Park, Hiroshima. The War Requiem uses text from the Missa pro Defunctis and poems of the first World War poet, Wilfred Owen, whose words, ‘My subject is War, and the pity of War’ still resonates today. Extensive negotiations with the Japanese and Hiroshima authorities have resulted in what promises to be a powerful collaboration between UK and Japanese musicians and singers.
The majority of the UK singers are from Bournemouth Symphony Chorus, but the scale of this work meant that additional singers would be needed. The bursary scheme enabled some young professional singers to be added to the choir and singers from other UK choirs were invited to be included. It is essential that the exceptional standard required of the BSC should be extended to the additional singers being invited and the resulting chorus should prove to be spectacular. Rehearsals are scheduled to begin in May with a full-day workshop in June.
The extended chorus is being joined by Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra and Hiroshima Children’s Choir with internationally acclaimed soloists; Hiromi Omura - soprano; James Gilchrist - tenor; and Roderick Williams - baritone.
Members of the chorus are being encouraged to keep a written, video or audio diary of their experience in Hiroshima. This material will be stored as an online archive by University of Hertfordshire and is being coordinated by the writer and broadcaster Andrew Green.
BSC members who are not able to participate in the Japan tour are still able to experience this remarkable work with Britten’s War Requiem being performed by BSC at Lighthouse Poole on 12 July 2025. For this performance BSC are joined by Bournemouth Symphony Youth Chorus, Magna Sinfonia, Bournemouth Chamber Orchestra, and soloists Rusné Tušlaité - soprano; Elgan Llŷr Thomas – tenor; Florian Störtz - baritone.
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