Duruflé: Requiem

Duruflé’s Requiem, unbeknown to many audience members, is not all his own work. His silent collaborators were the monks of the medieval church whose Gregorian chants he ‘stole’ to create a unique, spellbinding masterpiece. His contribution was to wash these glorious melodies in the luxuriant harmonies of the Impressionists to produce a meditative and personal experience for the listener. The brilliant Stewart Smith is the organist for this work; the organ console will be turned around so that his hands and feet will be in full view of the audience.

Smaller but no less beautiful works in the concert will include Duruflé’s sublime unaccompanied Gregorian motets sung by the fabulous Perth Chamber Choir, Fauré’s anthems for harp, organ and choir, including the glorious and famous Cantique de Jean Racine, and a feature solo work for harp.

Enjoy our Spring concert in the splendidly beautiful chapel of Christ Church Grammar School overlooking the Swan River. Watch the boats sail by as if in a French Impressionist painting and enjoy the changing light and sparkle of the water as your senses are bathed in the mellifluous sounds of the outstanding Perth Symphonic Chorus.