Under the baton of Jonathan Kingston, the choir will perform these harmonious and moving choral works:

• Fauré - ‘Requiem’ and ‘Cantique de Jean Racine’

• Rutter - ‘Requiem’

This year will be the 100th Anniversary of Fauré’s death. It is believed that Fauré wrote the ‘Requiem’ as a musical tribute to his father who died in 1885 - three years before starting this composition. It is a prayerful lament to the dead with a peaceful undertone that does not reflect a morbid view of death. Of all the seven sections within the ‘Requiem’, the ‘Agnus Dei’, ‘In Paradisum’ and ‘Pie Jesu’ emerge as the most glorious and filled with rich soulful melodies.

Rutter composed his glorious ‘Requiem’ in 1985. It can be compared to Fauré’s ‘Requiem’ in its simplicity and rich choral writing. It also has seven sections wherein the ‘Pie Jesu’ is the highlight to the piece as is ‘ Requiem Aeternam’ at the start of the choral work. Rutter is one of the most popular composers of the last thirty years and his work is performed regularly all over the world.

The choir will be accompanied on the organ by Charles Matthews as well as strings by professional players and timpani from the Birmingham Conservatoire.