World Requiem
Encyclopedia
A World Requiem, Op.
60 is a large-scale symphonic work with soloists and choir
s by the British
composer
John Foulds
. Written as a requiem
and using forces similar in scale to Gustav Mahler
's Eighth Symphony
, the work calls for a full symphony orchestra, soloists, massed choirs including children's choirs, offstage instrumentalists and an organ.
Foulds wrote the work between 1919 and 1921, and conceived it as a memorial to the dead of all nations in the wake of the First World War
. The text (in English), assembled by his wife Maud MacCarthy, to whom the score is dedicated, is not liturgical, though it uses sections of the Requiem Mass plus several other Biblical passages as well as excerpts from John Bunyan
's The Pilgrim's Progress
, a poem by the Hindu
poet Kabir
and a few passages she wrote herself. There are 20 movements arranged in two parts of 10 movements each, though some movements are quite brief.
It was premiered under the auspices of the Royal British Legion on Armistice Night, 11 November 1923 in the Royal Albert Hall
by up to 1,250 instrumentalists and singers; the latter were called the Cenotaph Choir. The programme-book for that occasion proclaimed on its cover that the work was 'A Cenotaph
in Sound' and it is likely that Foulds wished to present his work as a musical equivalent of the Cenotaph recently erected in Whitehall
and designed by his friend Sir Edwin Lutyens
. The performance brought Foulds such popular acclaim that after his death Maud MacCarthy was able to publish a book devoted to the positive responses to the work, though critical reaction was mixed. The work was repeated from 1924 to 1926 and constituted the first Festivals of Remembrance.
The vocal score was published by W. Paxton & Co. Ltd., London, whose business was eventually absorbed by the music publishers Novello & Co. During the period when the work was being performed in the 1920s, Foulds introduced various revisions and modifications.
Having lain neglected for eighty years, the BBC
in association with the Royal British Legion undertook a revival of the work, performed at the Royal Albert Hall on 11 November 2007. The BBC Symphony Orchestra
was joined by soloists Jeanne-Michèle Charbonnet, Catherine Wyn-Rogers, Gerald Finley
and Stuart Skelton and the BBC Symphony Chorus
was joined by the Crouch End Festival Chorus
, Philharmonia Chorus
and Trinity Boys' Choir and conducted by Leon Botstein
..
The concert was broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 (and was streamed online from their site) and was also recorded for later release by Chandos Records
. The Chandos recording was issued in January 2008.
Opus number
An Opus number , pl. opera and opuses, abbreviated, sing. Op. and pl. Opp. refers to a number generally assigned by composers to an individual composition or set of compositions on publication, to help identify their works...
60 is a large-scale symphonic work with soloists and choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
s by the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
John Foulds
John Foulds
John Herbert Foulds was a British composer of classical music. Largely self-taught as a composer, he was one of the most remarkable and unjustly forgotten figures of the "British Musical Renaissance"....
. Written as a requiem
Requiem
A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead or Mass of the dead , is a Mass celebrated for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, using a particular form of the Roman Missal...
and using forces similar in scale to Gustav Mahler
Gustav Mahler
Gustav Mahler was a late-Romantic Austrian composer and one of the leading conductors of his generation. He was born in the village of Kalischt, Bohemia, in what was then Austria-Hungary, now Kaliště in the Czech Republic...
's Eighth Symphony
Symphony No. 8 (Mahler)
The Symphony No. 8 in E-flat major by Gustav Mahler is one of the largest-scale choral works in the classical concert repertoire. Because it requires huge instrumental and vocal forces it is frequently called the "Symphony of a Thousand", although the work is often performed with fewer than a...
, the work calls for a full symphony orchestra, soloists, massed choirs including children's choirs, offstage instrumentalists and an organ.
Foulds wrote the work between 1919 and 1921, and conceived it as a memorial to the dead of all nations in the wake of the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. The text (in English), assembled by his wife Maud MacCarthy, to whom the score is dedicated, is not liturgical, though it uses sections of the Requiem Mass plus several other Biblical passages as well as excerpts from John Bunyan
John Bunyan
John Bunyan was an English Christian writer and preacher, famous for writing The Pilgrim's Progress. Though he was a Reformed Baptist, in the Church of England he is remembered with a Lesser Festival on 30 August, and on the liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church on 29 August.-Life:In 1628,...
's The Pilgrim's Progress
The Pilgrim's Progress
The Pilgrim's Progress from This World to That Which Is to Come is a Christian allegory written by John Bunyan and published in February, 1678. It is regarded as one of the most significant works of religious English literature, has been translated into more than 200 languages, and has never been...
, a poem by the Hindu
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
poet Kabir
Kabir
Kabīr was a mystic poet and saint of India, whose writings have greatly influenced the Bhakti movement...
and a few passages she wrote herself. There are 20 movements arranged in two parts of 10 movements each, though some movements are quite brief.
It was premiered under the auspices of the Royal British Legion on Armistice Night, 11 November 1923 in the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
by up to 1,250 instrumentalists and singers; the latter were called the Cenotaph Choir. The programme-book for that occasion proclaimed on its cover that the work was 'A Cenotaph
Cenotaph
A cenotaph is an "empty tomb" or a monument erected in honour of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been interred elsewhere. The word derives from the Greek κενοτάφιον = kenotaphion...
in Sound' and it is likely that Foulds wished to present his work as a musical equivalent of the Cenotaph recently erected in Whitehall
Whitehall
Whitehall is a road in Westminster, in London, England. It is the main artery running north from Parliament Square, towards Charing Cross at the southern end of Trafalgar Square...
and designed by his friend Sir Edwin Lutyens
Edwin Lutyens
Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens, OM, KCIE, PRA, FRIBA was a British architect who is known for imaginatively adapting traditional architectural styles to the requirements of his era...
. The performance brought Foulds such popular acclaim that after his death Maud MacCarthy was able to publish a book devoted to the positive responses to the work, though critical reaction was mixed. The work was repeated from 1924 to 1926 and constituted the first Festivals of Remembrance.
The vocal score was published by W. Paxton & Co. Ltd., London, whose business was eventually absorbed by the music publishers Novello & Co. During the period when the work was being performed in the 1920s, Foulds introduced various revisions and modifications.
Having lain neglected for eighty years, the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
in association with the Royal British Legion undertook a revival of the work, performed at the Royal Albert Hall on 11 November 2007. The BBC Symphony Orchestra
BBC Symphony Orchestra
The BBC Symphony Orchestra is the principal broadcast orchestra of the British Broadcasting Corporation and one of the leading orchestras in Britain.-History:...
was joined by soloists Jeanne-Michèle Charbonnet, Catherine Wyn-Rogers, Gerald Finley
Gerald Finley
-Career:He was born in Montreal and received his musical education in St. Matthew's Anglican Church, Ottawa, the University of Ottawa, King's College, Cambridge and the Royal College of Music in London, England...
and Stuart Skelton and the BBC Symphony Chorus
BBC Symphony Chorus
The BBC Symphony Chorus is a British amateur chorus based in London. It is the dedicated chorus for the BBC Symphony Orchestra, though it performs with other national and international orchestras....
was joined by the Crouch End Festival Chorus
Crouch End Festival Chorus
Crouch End Festival Chorus is a symphonic choir based in Crouch End, a northern suburb of London. CEFC was formed in 1984 by John Gregson and David Temple, who remains the choir's conductor...
, Philharmonia Chorus
Philharmonia Chorus
The Philharmonia Chorus is an independent self-governing symphony choir of up to 150 singers based in London, UK. It performs concert and operatic choral repertory from baroque to contemporary...
and Trinity Boys' Choir and conducted by Leon Botstein
Leon Botstein
Leon Botstein is an American conductor and the President of Bard College . Botstein is the music director and principal conductor of the American Symphony Orchestra and conductor laureate of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, where he served as music director and principal conductor from 2003-2010...
..
The concert was broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 (and was streamed online from their site) and was also recorded for later release by Chandos Records
Chandos Records
Chandos Records is an independent classical music recording company based in Colchester, Essex, in the United Kingdom, founded in 1979 by Brian Couzens.- Background :...
. The Chandos recording was issued in January 2008.