1. On November 14, 1940, Coventry Cathedral was destroyed by German bombers. When a new cathedral was built next to the ruins, composer Benjamin Britten was asked to write a piece of music for the reconsecration. Britten chose a requiem, a mass for the dead - the "War Requiem." When was this? April 19, 1963 May 30, 1962 June 22, 1961 March 28, 1965

2. The "War Requiem" is not an ordinary requiem. In addition to the traditional Latin lines of the mass, Britten included poems written by a young soldier in the First World War. What was his name? Liam Armstrong Egbert Lewis Benedict Farley Wilfred Owen

3. There are three different levels in the requiem: the big orchestra and the choir with the soprano soloist; the tenor and baritone soloists with the chamber orchestra; and what is the third one? the alto soloist with the flutes and strings the children's choir with the small organ the boy soloist with the harp the basso soloist with the woodwind instruments

4. Now for the music itself... The first part, "Requiem aeternam," begins with a slow, march-like theme that resembles a funeral procession. The bells that start to chime then are like death-knells. The tense effect they create is due to their being tuned in which interval? D sharp and F (ninth) C and A (sixth) F sharp and C (tritone) C and B flat (small seventh)

5. Rather abruptly, the tenor interrupts the choir's "Requiem aeternam" with his first accusation: rituals and prayers are becoming superficial routine; the requiem must not be sung like this, among the "shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells." What are the first lines the tenor sings? "Bugles sang, saddening the evening air" "No mockeries for them from prayers or bells" "What passing-bells for those who die as cattle?" "What candles may be held to speed them all?"

6. The "Requiem aeternam" is concluded by the "Kyrie eleison," sung by the choir - a beautiful passage ending in pure F major. What makes this passage so special? it's completely unisono it's only accompanied by the harp it's completely a cappella it combines the melodies of the tenor and the children

7. The core of each requiem is the "Dies irae," a description of Judgment Day ("Day of Wrath"). Britten starts the passage in pianissimo with the choir stammering the first lines, as if breathless with horror; later, the bugles call ("Tuba mirum"), summoning the living and the dead before the throne. Then a melancholy passage sung by the baritone follows. One symbol from the preceding Latin text is taken over by him, and his lines are centered around this symbol. Which one is it? tombs wrath bugles judge

8. The soprano tells of the "written book" which is "brought forth" ("Liber scriptus proferetur"). Then follows the "Quid sum miser" and the "Rex tremendae," which contains the plea to the "Fount of Pity" to save the poor soul. The following duet between tenor and baritone is an almost ironical tale of how the soldiers were acquainted with Death. The duet ends with the bragging of a fighter who says he fights Death for life; not for men but for what? flags honor leaders pride

9. The "Recordare" and the "Ingemisco" are both sung by the choir (unlike most other requiems, where the "Ingemisco" is almost always sung by the tenor soloist). The "Recordare" has some beautiful moments, and so has the "Ingemisco," but the "Confutatis maledictis" is a sharp contrast to those two relatively calm passages. After that, the orchestra is creating an eerie atmosphere by having the drums reverberating with the rhythm of the "Confutatis" while the rising chords, answered by distant fanfares, pave the way for the baritone's powerful incantation. What instrument of war does the baritone sing to? rifle cannon (great gun) shrapnel shell

10. The "Lacrimosa," the song of the grieving, is sung by the choir and the soprano. They are interrupted by the tenor, who sings his personal dirge (melodically related to the soprano's passage). The connection between choir and tenor is established by their grief: the choir mourns the guilt of man, the tenor mourns the friend who died far from home. The tenor asks a question which he repeats several times. What question? "Are limbs, so dear-achieved, still warm, too hard to stir?" "O what made fatuous sunbeams toil to break earth's sleep at all?" "Was it for this the clay grew tall?" "Shall life renew these bodies?"

11. The following section, the "Offertorium," is begun by the children interceding with Jesus Christ for the "soul of all the faithful" in a very simple antiphon. The choir takes over, telling of the angel Michael and the prophecy to Abraham ("Quam olim Abrahae"). But then the tenor and the baritone interrupt, telling another version of Abraham's story. One of the most impressive moments in the War Requiem is when tenor and baritone deliver a bitter, cynical repitition of their final line ("Half the seed of Europe, one by one") with the children's "Hostias et preces" in counterpoint. What is so special about this passage? the soloists are accompanied by the brass instruments, the children by the harp the soloists and the children sing to exactly the same tune the soloists sing to another beat than the children the children's melody mirrors the soloists' melody

12. The "Sanctus" starts again with bells. But this time they are no death-knells; they announce the glory of God (they are tuned in three octaves of F sharp). The soprano sings her praises, and then the choir recites "Pleni sunt coeli et terra gloria tua" ("Heaven and earth are full of Thy glory"). Which musical technique does Britten use here to symbolize the lyrics? cluster and a composed crescendo all twelve notes in the scale and rapid volume changes fortissimo triads in E flat major complete unisono of both choirs, the soloist and the orchestra

13. The "Hosanna" contrasts with the preceding "Pleni sunt coeli." It is clearly structured in triads, while the basso is taking over the melody of the soprano from the beginning. The "Benedictus" is sung by the soprano and repeated in parallels by the choir, then the "Hosanna" is repeated, but ends abruptly when the baritone asks his skeptical questions about what comes "after the blast of lightning from the East, the flourish of loud clouds, the Chariot Throne." Whom does the baritone address in his solo? Death and Heaven Age and Earth Youth and Hell Life and Fire

14. The "Agnus dei" establishes for the first time a real connection between the two main groups: the sad melody of the tenor is being accompanied by the choir and the chamber orchestra. The tenor draws parallels between war and the "lamb of God"; Golgatha is present on the battlefield, again and again. The tenor ends this part of the requiem with which words? "Do not hate" "Dona nobis pacem" "Dona eis requiem sempiternam" "Lamb of God"

15. The last part, "Libera me", begins with a reminiscence of the "Dies irae"; the vision of horror arises again, coming to an apocalyptic climax, and then fades. The atmosphere changes and becomes almost unearthly when tenor and baritone sing of the former enemies, now deceased, who meet again beyond battle and war, connected in futile hope, unlived life and untimely death. The enemies reconcile; the children tell them of the Paradise, where eternal rest is granted them. The children's passage lies above the duet of tenor and baritone. What is the line the soloists repeat during that duet? "Let us sleep now" "I am the enemy you killed, my friend" "Rest in peace, strange friend" "Requiescant in pace"