Singing a "Requiem"

[Scott Semester]

I'm excited about a performance that I have an opportunity to be a part of in the coming weeks. In March, St. Luke's United Methodist Church's Chancel Choir and Orchestra will present one of the first performances of a piece called Requiem, composed by Mack Wilberg, the music director of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. (You should totally come. I'll be one of the basses in the front row.)

Requiem is sung in Latin and English, but don't freak out if you're not fluent in Latin. Or English, for that matter. The music will transport you to another place. It's almost other-worldly in sound, featuring a choir of around 100 people, along with a 40-piece orchestra and a couple of very talented soloists.

How do you sing a "Requiem"?
Unlike most of the people in the choir, I've just been singing singing for about four years. I didn't grow up singing in the choir at church or school (car and shower singing only, for me) and I only started choir-singing recently. (It's a long story that I'll share with you some time.) Anyway, because I'm relatively new to singing with a choir, it's always a fun process for me to learn HOW to sing a song -- what it means, why it's important, how the musicality relates to the spirituality. Especially with something as stereotypically heavy as a requiem, the process for me will include introspection, research, discussion, and sharing.

Over the course of the next few weeks, as we prepare for this concert, I'll try to share some of what the process is like for me. I hope you'll consider joining us -- I mean, really, what else are you going to be doing on a Sunday afternoon? You don't have to get dressed up, the concert is free, and it's very cool.

You can find more details about the performance here.