Everything we love about Verdi’s great operas (Rigoletto, La traviata, Aida…) can be found in his Requiem mass: drama, mighty choruses, heart-wrenching solos and the thrilling power of the human voice. More than that, says Jessica Cottis, Verdi’s music goes right to the heart of the human condition.

Verdi understands our hopes, our fears, and our desire for spiritual connection regardless of faith. He gives us the sheer, annihilating terror of the ‘Dies irae’, the tears of the ‘Lacrymosa’ and the luminous serenity of the ‘Lux aeterna’. And the result is a musical expression of private grief that’s both intimate and spectacular. This might be funeral music from the traditions of the church, but emotionally it’s equal to a night at the opera.

As a prelude, we’re reprising Liza Lim’s Dianna, originally composed for our Principal Horn in 2020. ‘It’s a call to attention,’ says Jessica. ‘A song to nature and life, which guides us into the world of Verdi’s Requiem.