Today, I am traveling with Grove City College's Touring Choir up to Erie to sing Brahms' Requiem with the Erie Philharmonic. We did a similar thing last year, only singing the Verdi Requiem instead.
We began working on this work in October. It's 70 minutes of intense singing…in German. (For the record, I cannot speak a lick of German. It doesn't matter how many times Dr. Browne attempts to teach us how to say those words…it's impossible for me. Remind me never to move to Germany. Ever.)
It was not always the easiest or most fun process to learn this Requiem. In fact, for the past month, when it's been all we worked on, it's been rather tiring. But this day makes the work and hours upon hours spent in learning it, worth it. The Requiem is a powerful work, both musically and lyrically. It was written in 1865 and is still well-known and loved today.
It amazes me sometimes how 'politically incorrect' these works of music can be and yet, they are still loved and enjoyed by the public. The Requiem is explicitly Christian, filled entirely with Scripture passages, preaching the Gospel. Although I do not understand the German text, the English translation allows us as vocalists to understand what we are saying and put the proper emotion into the lyrics.
I have yet to fully decide which movement is my favorite, but here:
Listen to that movement. It's the second movement and might be my favorite.
Here's the text:
"For all flesh is as grass,
and all the glory of man
as the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
and the flower thereof falleth away. I Peter 1:24
Be patient therefore, brethren,
unto the coming of the Lord.
Behold, the husbandman waiteth
for the precious fruit of the earth,
and has long patience for it,
until he receive the morning and evening rain.
Be patient therefore. James 5:7
But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. I Peter 1:25
And the ransomed of the Lord shall return,
and come to Zion with songs
and everlasting joy
upon their heads:
they shall obtain joy and gladness,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Isaiah 35:10 "
I'm thanking God for His everlasting Truth, the brilliance of Brahms, and the gift of music.
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