Rutter Requiem to be Performed November 13, 2016

Macon, GA —  The Choral Society of Middle Georgia, Mercer University Choir, Mercer Singers, and McDuffie Center for Strings will perform composer John Rutter’s Requiem on Sunday, November 13, at 4:00 P.M. at Mulberry Street United Methodist Church in Macon.

            “The Mercer University Choir, Mercer Singers, and McDuffie Center for Strings have been invited to present a concert in Carnegie Hall in February 2017,” said conductor Dr. Stanley Roberts.  “This is an opportunity for our Mercer choral and orchestra groups to perform the unique and beautiful Rutter Requiem with a larger choral group prior to the Carnegie concert in February.  We are excited to combine our university groups with the caliber of talent in the Choral Society of Middle Georgia in presenting this work for the citizens of Middle Georgia.”

            The Rutter concert in Carnegie Hall will consist of a choir of 180+ singers (with Mercer singers and alumni at its core) and orchestra (with the McDuffie Center for Strings at its core).  At the November 13th concert, there will be 100+ singers with orchestra presenting the concert.

            In John Rutter’s Requiem YouTube series on September 27, 2010, Rutter talks about his two “impulses” or inspirations in composing the Requiem, one personal and one musical.

            “The personal one was a time of sadness because my father died in 1983 and I wanted to remember him in music in some way and preferably in a way he might have enjoyed and appreciated.”  His musical impulse was research and the opportunity to personally examine the Faure’ Requiem.  According to the video series, Rutter wanted his 7-movement Requiem to more consoling.  The Requiem “begins and ends with the authorized bookend texts of the Requiem mass,” said Rutter.  He described his Requiem as having an “arch structure” with the prayers for the souls at the beginning and end sung in Latin. 

            Movements 2 (the darker Psalm 130) and 6 (Psalm 23 the comforting “The Lord is My Shepherd”) are both Psalm settings and in English.  Movements 3 and 5 are prayers to Christ.  In the center is the “Sanctus” which affirms God’s glory. 

            In the final video in the Rutter series, he said, “Everything ends in light and blessing.  We don’t know that that’s going to happen, but I think the faith and the hope that it might is one of the things that sustains us on our life’s journey.”

            On November 13, 2016 at 4:00 P.M., join the Choral Society of Middle Georgia, Mercer University Choir, Mercer Singers and McDuffie Center for Strings at Mulberry Street United Methodist Church to hear the Rutter Requiem.    Tickets are $10.00 per person.  To purchase tickets, contact the CSMG at csmg.maconga@gmail.com or (478) 216-7841.