War Requiem Op 66 by Benjamin Britten is to be performed by a huge cast on Friday, 19 October, 2018, at Every Nation Church, N1 City. For this concert, the Cape Town Philharmonia Choir joins the Johannesburg Symphony Choir, Dresden Singakademie Adult Choir, Dresden Singakademie Children’s Choir and St Cyprians School Choir.
Andiswa Makana is soprano soloist, Siyabonga Maqungo takes the tenor part and Daniel Ochoa is baritone.
Saxony’s Saxonia Youth Orchestra, more
Orchestral support will be provided by Saxony’s Saxonia Youth Orchestra and the Philharmonia Chamber Orchestra. Conductors are Milko Kersten, Richard Cock and Claudia Sebastian-Bertsch.
Says Christine Rix, Philharmonia Choir chairperson: “as approximately 300 artistes are taking part, and we’re grouped in groups, yet perform as a whole, creating a surround sound, an extra-large venue is a must. Good communication between the three conductors is taking some co-ordination, not to mention, getting the sound balance just right. Because of numerous unusual logistics, this performance has taken two years to organise. But while we’re excited about presenting Britten’s superb War Requiem, we’re praying those responsible for making war will heed the cry to stop paying to kill, and honour Britten’s request not to applaud.”
The production does not contain the words “Kill or Be Killed; Pay or Be Paid: They are The Maid of Orleans” – describing soldiers attitude towards war in Bernard Shaw’s 1923 drama Saint Joan – the play he wrote honouring Joan d’Arc’s canonization in 1920.
Joan’s Godly mission was to end the English invasion of France. Britten’s earthly mission was to compose a War Requiem – not to those killed in war, but to the death of war itself. St Joan and Britten’s War Requiem may seem diabolically opposite. Yet Joan’s 15h century words resonate with those by World War 1 20th century soldier poet Wilfred Owen whose nine poems Britten incorporates – My subject is War, and the pity of War. The poetry is in the pity… All a poet can do today is warn.
Through Joan’s words Shaw’s political activism “that warring nations are equally culpable” marry with Britten’s Christian pacifism.
Memories fade. Many don’t want to remember World War 11. Or the (seemingly) endless bombs Göring’s Luftwaffe dropped on Scotland and England killing 1000s upon 1000s thousands, simultaneously razing countless buildings to rubble. But no matter how horrific those times (and war), now and then a miracle occurs. One was Coventry’s Cathedral of St Michael.
On the night of 14 November 1940, bombs rained on this 14th/15th century Gothic Cathedral destroying all but the tower, spire and outer wall. Reaching out to people’s courage Provost Richard Howard had the words ‘Father Forgive’ inscribed on the wall behind the altar. Stone-mason Jack Forbes’s action tying two huge charred beams together to form a cross became Coventry’s symbols of hope, peace and reconciliation.
As Basil Spence’s designs reconstructed Coventry’s Cathedral into the magnificent structure it is today, Britten composed his War Requiem for the opening of Coventry’s new Cathedral on 25 May, 1962.
Dedicating this non-liturgical setting to the memory of four of the composer’s friends killed in World War 11, Britten’s War Requiem Op 66 is his largest choral work. Divided into three multi-layered passages each layer represents different aspects.
Dresden, Johannesburg, Cape Town
The first combines the orchestra with soprano and chorus singing the Latin requiem. The second, also in Latin, hears a children’s chorus accompanied by harmonium.
Part three combines a chamber orchestra with tenor and baritone voices singing three Owen poems. Then the requiem builds to a powerful conclusion as all performers join for the magnificent finale.
2018 commemorates the centenary of the end of World War 1. So it’s an appropriate time to perform Britten’s War Requiem as it was during that war that Owen wrote his poetry warning about the uselessness of war. To this end Leipzig, Dresden, Johannesburg and Cape Town are linking a series of performances of Britten’s War Requiem.
What: Benjamin Britten War Requiem
When: 19 October 2018 at 8pm
Where: Every Nation Church, N1 City
War Requiem Cape Town Tickets: www.quicket.co.za
WS
