War Requiem - Benjamin Britten

Britten’s masterpiece was composed in 1962 for the opening of the new Coventry Cathedral in May of that year; the old building having been destroyed by the Luftwaffe.

With a full orchestra, stunning soloists and the beautiful setting of Guildford Cathedral, itself consecrated just a year before the War Requiem was finished, this performance promises to be an evening to remember.

We are particularly lucky to have Benjamin Britten’s nephew singing with us. John has been a long-serving member of the Vivace Chorus, and his recollections of his uncle give the work special significance for him:

"My Uncle Benjamin experienced World War 1 as a young child in much-bombed Lowestoft. Although his passionate pacifism will have been reinforced by the many wars of the 20th century, notably the Spanish Civil War and World War 2, I feel that the seeds of his attitudes and convictions were already being sown by what he saw and heard in his first five years of life. The War Requiem was perhaps his greatest effort to warn of the dangers and horrors of war."

The concert includes a collection for Help for Heroes.

A free pre-concert talk will be given in the Cathedral Chapter House at 6:30pm by Dr Christopher Mark, Senior Lecturer in Musicology at the University of Surrey.