The voices of nearly 90 singers will fill the sanctuary of the church in a very special performance. 

The concert on Sunday, March 31 will feature four choirs — the FWSUMC Sanctuary and Chamber Choirs, the Trine University Choir, and the Purdue Fort Wayne University Singers. The four groups will unite in a performance (and the Fort Wayne premiere!) of the masterpiece Requiem for the Living by distinguished American composer Dan Forrest. They will be accompanied by a professional 17-piece orchestra of musicians from the Fort Wayne Philharmonic.

A requiem is traditionally a Roman Catholic Mass for the deceased and has been a favorite set of Latin texts for composers to set to music. Many great composers have written requiems; Mozart, Verdi and Faure’s requiems are all justifiably famous. At its core, a requiem is a prayer for peace for the departed. Dan Forrest takes that concept and turns it around, writing about his Requiem for the Living “the five movements form a narrative for the living, and their own struggles with pain and sorrow.”

The first movement sets the traditional Introit and Kyrie texts — pleas for rest and mercy, with increasing intensity. The second movement references the despair and seeming futility of life – “all is vanity!” with driving rhythms and aggression. The next two movements, an Angus Dei (lamb of God) and Sanctus (holy, holy, holy) are a plea for peace and deliverance, and a glorious response to this holy deliverance. The final movement portrays light, peace and rest, for all of us. The work is absolutely thrilling and gorgeous. Two of our Choral Scholars, Ashlee Miller and Josiah Hawkins, have solos.

The first half of the concert will feature each choir individually, performing short works, with one mass number to end the half. The concert should last about two hours, including a 20-minute intermission. We expect this concert to have a capacity audience with all seats first come, first choose. If you want a seat, be sure to come early! 

The concert, the first of its kind for the FWSUMC music program, is provided free of charge, thanks to the generous support of the AIMA sponsors. A free-will offering will be taken, and a reception will follow in Fellowship Hall.