Every Remembrance Sunday, we use choral music as an opportunity to honour the dedication and bravery of those who have safeguarded our liberties and upheld our way of life by fighting in the military.
This day, which will happen on 10th November 2024, is particularly close to our hearts at The Bach Choir. Our membership have a lot of ties to the armed forces – many of our singers’ families served in World War 1, World War 2 and in many conflicts after these. It’s also tied into our 149-year history in numerous musical ways – this article details some of those.
Choral music is naturally brimming with works that pay tribute to those who have passed. Many of these are specifically dedicated to those who fell on the battlefield. Britten’s War Requiem, Vaughan Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem and Howells’ Requiem amongst others are all cornerstones of the choral repertoire – they’re pieces we’ve performed extensively in the past.
One strong tie we have to Remembrance Sunday is through Britten’s War Requiem. The piece was composed in memory of those in the armed forces who have engaged in war – it recognises the stories of those who have served, and pays tribute to the sacrifices that they have made for their countries. Alongside the Latin Requiem Mass, the piece uses poetry by Wilfred Owen, a poet who tragically died very shortly before the end of World War I. Britten was a pacifist, but the work is not anti-war by any means – it pays tribute to many of the composer’s friends, who were mostly involved in World War 2.
The Bach Choir were asked by Britten to take part in the 1963 recording of the work, which is still today seen as the definitive recording. It won two Grammy Awards, sold 200,000 copies within 5 months and BBC Music Magazine recently declared it as one of the top three recordings of all time. You can read more about the story of that recording here.
Since 2021, we’ve been taking part in the BBC’s Festival of Remembrance, where we’ve sung with a huge array of singers including Gregory Porter, Cynthia Erivo, Andrea Bocelli, Hannah Waddingham and Alexandra Burke. You can watch the 2023 edition here on BBC iPlayer.
On October 30th 2024 we return to Britten’s War Requiem in a live setting – we’ll perform it in Westminster Cathedral with David Hill, the Philharmonia Orchestra, Elizabeth Watts, Andrew Staples and Mark Stone. You can buy your tickets to hear us sing this seminal work here.
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