Verdi Requiem: Royal Choral Society 150th Anniversary

The Royal Choral Society celebrated 150 years of music-making with a spine-tingling performance of one of the great choral masterpieces, Verdi’s Requiem. The composer conducted the UK premiere of this work with the Royal Choral Society in 1875, and the choir has performed the work many times in its long history. Verdi’s Requiem unites religious dignity with operatic drama – many have referred to it as his greatest ‘opera’.  From its hushed opening, the raw terror of the Dies Irae, the sorrowful Lacrimosa and on to the mighty, moving final plea for deliverance, its power to move and inspire has remained undiminished.

The 150-strong Royal Choral Society was joined by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and a quartet of acclaimed soloists, maintaining a tradition the choir has upheld since its first concert 150 years ago in 1872.

The Royal Festival Hall provided the ideal setting to perform this magnificent work, and the concert proved to be the perfect prelude to the four-day celebrations which marked the Platinum Jubilee of the Royal Choral Society’s Patron, HM The Queen.