On Easter Saturday, The Sixteen performs a programme of French music which transcends darkness and points towards a greater light, with Duruflé’s beautiful and moving Requiem at its heart.

Duruflé’s Requiem sets the Latin Mass for the Dead, and is dedicated to the memory of his father. The subtle rhythms and fluid lines of Gregorian chant permeate the whole work, personalised by the colours, harmonies and rhythms of a deeply religious 20th-century musician.

Representing the ideas of peace, faith and hope, the Requiem is a profoundly beautiful, emotionally shattering and wonderfully atmospheric piece which never fails to make an impact.

Complementing this are Poulenc’s powerful winter lamentation ‘Un soir de neige’ and the deeply personal ‘Litanies à la Vierge noire’, plus the ‘Agnus Dei’ from Martin’s shimmering Mass for Double Choir.

Download the programme notes here.

Harry Christophers conductor
The Sixteen
Robert Quinney organ