Following its popular "Come & Sing" concert last year, the Bangkok Music Society (BMS) is giving another similar show, "Mozart's Requiem", at Christ Church, Convent Road, on Saturday, at 3pm.
The Bangkok Music Society choir.
Under the baton of its music director Margaret Young, the BMS choir will be supplemented by many guest singers just for this show. The accompaniment will utilise the church's grand pipe organ said to be the only one of its kind in Thailand, played by Morakot Cherdchoo-ngarm, with a chamber group of instrumentalists.
Altogether, nearly 100 musicians will join together to render a memorable rendition of Mozart's magnificent final work, left incomplete at his deathbed aged only 35. It was finished by Mozart's pupil, Süssmayer, but it remains unclear how much detail the composer had left to complete it, all adding to the mystery surrounding the composer's last days and by whom the work was commissioned.
A mantra for the dead -- the Requiem In D Minor K626 was sung at the funerals of Beethoven, Napoleon and John F. Kennedy -- this dramatic work has touched and changed people's lives, including those with no previous interest in classical music. The many forte rhythms of the chorus contrast sharply with the more legato solace of the quartet of soloists.
With this performance, we remember the suffering of thousands killed or injured from the continuing hate and wickedness of terrorism, invasion and war around the world.
Composed 232 years ago, this music is still very much alive, helping us to face such horrors both by expressing anger and introspective reflection of the ongoing failures of humanity.
Its musical style is operatic and full of extremes that makes this music a pinnacle of the classical tradition, which is probably why it has been regularly performed ever since it was written.
Tickets cost 300 baht and are available at the door. Visit bangkokmusicsociety.com.
