As her Majesty The Queen prepares to mark her Platinum Jubilee, there is another party in town! Head to the Royal Festival Hall at the Southbank Centre on Wednesday 1st June at 7.30pm to experience one of the giants of the choral repertoire – Verdi’s Requiem, performed by the Royal Choral Society in celebration of the choir’s 150th anniversary year.
The choir has been making music since 1872, when it held its first concert following the opening of the Royal Albert Hall. Verdi himself conducted the UK premiere of this work at the Royal Albert Hall with the Royal Choral Society in 1875, and the choir has performed the work many times in its long history. Verdi’s Requiem unites religious dignity with operatic drama – many have referred to it as his greatest ‘opera’. From its hushed opening, the raw terror of the Dies Irae, the sorrowful Lacrimosa and on to the mighty, moving final plea for deliverance, its power to move and inspire has remained undiminished.
The 150-strong Royal Choral Society will be joined by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and a quartet of acclaimed soloists, Anush Hovhannisyan (soprano) Julia Riley (mezzo-soprano), Alexander James Edwards (tenor) and Alastair Miles (bass). The choir’s Music Director Richard Cooke will conduct what is bound to be an epic night of music making.
The Royal Festival Hall provides the ideal setting to perform this magnificent work. It’s the perfect prelude to the four-day celebrations which will mark the Platinum Jubilee of the Royal Choral Society’s Patron, HM The Queen.
