The 1878 Requiem by Camille Saint-Saëns is an intense and dramatic setting, with a heady mix of styles, ranging from reverential meditation to highly emotional operatic melodies. For this performance, the choir's musical director Paul Ayres has created a unique new orchestration: our professional solo voices and 70 chorus members will be accompanied by an octet of cello, harp, accordion, organ, and four French horns. It will be a wonderful aural experience, enhanced by the glorious acoustics of St Barnabas and its thrilling pipe organ.
The Requiem will be complemented by a selection of shorter works, including Fauré's beautiful Cantique de Jean Racine. The choir will sing three movements from Messe à deux voix by Cécile Chaminade - a pianist of international fame during the nineteenth century - so much so that one of her pieces was played at the funeral of Queen Victoria - but whose choral music is not often heard. César Franck's Panis Angelicus will be presented in its original scoring for solo voice, cello, harp and organ. Motets by Fauré and Saint-Saëns will be offered, and our guest instrumentalists will be showcased in Eugène Bozza's Suite for Four Horns.
Questors Choir looks forward to sharing this wonderful music with you!
