The Bach Choir – Au Printemps – Duruflé Requiem – 7:30pm

The ancient world of Gregorian melodies is combined with a harmonic setting typical of 20th Century France in Duruflé’s Requiem. The Requiem blends different styles to achieve an overall sense of peace not usually found in other Requiem settings Duruflé’s Quatre motets further build on this modernisation of ancient traditions.

Cantique de Jean Racine was composed by Fauré at the age of twenty when he was attending Paris’ École Niedermeyer. It sets text from French playwright Jean Racine alongside rich, lush choral writing, and will be recognised by some audiences from its appearance in the motion picture Babe. On the other side of La Seine, Faure’s harmony student N Boulanger composed her own Cantique a little over 40 years later – a concise, evocative and disarmingly simple work.

Internationally renowned organist Philip Scriven, described as ‘a joy to listen to’ by Gramophone, is given a spotlight in Duruflé’s Choral varié sur le thème du ‘Veni Creator’. Langlais’ Messe solennelle also features – a piece so considered that the organist thought about it for 12 years before composing it in 13 days.

As the fog of winter clears, Au Printemps brings The Bach Choir’s subtle and delicate side into focus.