A very special Requiem

Who knew there could be a Requiem for the living? Dan Forrest's Requiem For The Living is a magnificent piece, little-known by the Portuguese public, so we need all the help we can get to be able to perform it in concert!

The Requiem is a mass of the Catholic churche offered in honor of the dead, intended for the repose of the deceased person's soull. The term “requiem” comes from the Latin requiem, which derives from requies, which means “rest” or “repose”.

However, this Requiem goes further and, using the author's own words, presents a narrative that serves both the living, and their own struggle with pain and sadness, as well as the dead, by emphasizing the importance of solace.

Requiem for the Living was written in 2013 by the American composer Dan Forrest, and is one of the most moving works you will ever hear, because of its luminous harmony and almost cinematic nature.

Dan Forrest is a highly qualified young American composer (1978), whose choral works are characterized for its numerous nuances, a well-paced language and deep meaning texts. He is much appreciated for his ability to write melodic lines for all voices and instruments, with an impactful and very efficient effect.

The version we take to concert is the Expanded Chamber Ensemble which combines the wind parts (flute, oboe and horn), harp and organ with percussion, string orchestra and choir. There are 5 movements that make up this Requiem and the spirit of this work is established from the beginning with the dark and elegantly orchestrated instrumental prologue of the opening Introit - Kyrie. The next movement - Vanitas Vanitatum - is more intense and tumultuous, with well-marked rhythms that evoke suffering and pain. The melodious Agnus Dei then offers tranquility, rescue and peace and is folloed by the Sanctus, which combines a melodic line with a frenetic rhythm, full of energy, evoking feelings of joy and praise. Lux Aeterna closes the work sublimely, with great delicacy, sweetness and is sung with such expression so as to offer peace and repose to both the dead and the living.

The Orquestra Círculo de Música de Câmara (OCMC) and the Lisbon Singers Choir are joined together to perform this magnificent piece on December 3rd in Lisbon. Entrance is free.

To be able to offer this concert OCMC, which is a string Orchestra, needs to hire the musicians for the melodic lines of the harp, flute, oboe, horn, organ, timpani and remaining percussion. On the other hand, the Choir will also have to hire a soprano soloist, and the cost of renting the piece itself to the entity responsible for its edition must also be considered.

So, we need your help so we can open the doors to anyone who wants to listen to this magnificient piece, giving everyone the opportunity to enjoy a unique musical experience.

About the author

OCMC is the only non-professional string orchestra in Portugal with uninterrupted musical activity for over 30 years. It is managed by a non-profit association and has no source of income or financial support from any entity.

It was founded in 1989 by a small group of musicians, amateurs and professionals, and its main objective is the education of new audiences, the investigation and dissemination of music through concerts and other cultural activities, giving support to new composers and musicians and musical education.

Amateur formations have a long tradition in other countries (for example, in the United Kingdom there are more than 400 amateur orchestras) but in Portugal, according to what we know, the OCMC is the only one of its kind. The orchestra has 20 permanent instrumentalists who rehearse regularly once a week, from September to July. Most of its elements combine learning the instrument with a profession - doctors, teachers, lawyers, economists, university students; some elements are professional musicians who have worked with the main national orchestras. There are schoolmates, professional colleagues, orchestra colleagues and longtime friends.

Coro Lisbon Singers is a choir founded in 2019, with around 30 elements, which includes singers from various groups. The choir inherits its entire career from the former Emotion Voices choir, from which it stood out as a new format to respond to more and different challenges. It is a choir that mixes professional and amateur singers, which makes its sound very interesting. The group of singers is not always the same, as it varies depending on the type of repertoire that is proposed. The direction of this concert will be in the capable hands of maestro Manuel Rebelo.

Budget and due dates

The concert will have free entry, as all other concerts promoted by the OCMC, since one of its main objectives is related to the education of new audiences and the dissemination of classical music.

To complete the String Orchestra there is the need to hire 1 musician for each of these instruments: harp, flute, oboe, horn, organ, timpani and remaining percussion. The Lisbon Singers Choir will only need to hire a soprano soloist.

In order to be presented, the piece it must be rented to the entity responsible for its edition – Hinshaw Music, Inc., which belongs to the FRED BOCK PUBLISHING GROUP.

Detailed  budget:

Rental: 450 USD (462€ at current exchange rates)

Musicians: 8*250€ = €2,000

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