$1 from every ticket will be donated to Hospice Wairarapa

On Saturday 13 June, the Wairarapa Singers will perform a work that turns the traditional requiem on its head, instead offering a prayer for those left behind – the living – as they grapple with pain and sorrow.

Music lovers familiar with traditional choral settings of the Requiem text will know they are most often presented as a prayer of rest for those who have passed.

Dan Forrest’s Requiem for the Living has been described as subtle in its intent, nuanced in its treatment, and beautiful and comforting in its effect.

Written in 2013, the work has been frequently performed in the US and internationally. The Wairarapa Singers will be only the second choir in New Zealand to tackle this technically and emotionally complex piece.

The performance will feature an eight-piece orchestra and three soloists, soprano Sophia Gittings, mezzo-soprano Meredith Williams, and tenor Richard Taylor.

The concert programme, themed as “From Darkness to Light”, will include a further three short pieces by the choir to compliment the Requiem, and a set of music sung by Sophia Gittings, accompanied by Music Director Mark Stamper.

$1 from each ticket sold will be donated to Hospice Wairarapa. Tickets are available at the door, or email Wairarapa Singers wairarapasingersnz@gmail.com. Please bring cash if paying at the door.