Burgess Hill Choral Society offer contrasting requiems

Musical director Michael Stefan Wood offers an explanation why the Mozart Requiem has retained its appeal over the ages: “The first thing is that there’s a great poignancy in the fact that when the work was commissioned, Mozart said to his wife, ‘I think I’m writing a requiem for myself’, and in some ways that was true because it’s the last work that he actually wrote. The second thing of course is, being Mozart, it is just beautiful music, capturing as it does all the emotional aspects of a requiem.”

As for the Karl Jenkins Requiem, Mike said: “The piece has become popular in part because of the composer’s use of a variety of styles and techniques, ranging from gorgeous lyrical melodies to minimalistic sections which have small rhythmic changes happening in the different voice sections, almost like rap-music. And of course Jenkins’ signature characteristic is his use of world music, so we have ethnic percussion coming in as well.”

Burgess Hill Choral Society spokeswoman Frances Eales added: “The choir has risen well to the challenge of working with two such different styles of music. Far from finding the requiems gloomy, we’ve discovered both of them to be intensely positive and life-affirming. We are sure this is going to be a wonderfully uplifting event.”

The concert takes place on Saturday, April 23 at St Andrew’s Church Junction Road RH15 0LG at 7.30pm with a full orchestra and with young soloists on the threshold of their professional careers. Tickets (£14, under-18s free) are available from Burgess Hill Help Point, on the door or phone 07522 493966.

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