The Requiem is an ancient rite that has taken on a life of its own in the modern musical era. You might spend an evening in a grand theater to take in one of music’s most celebrated inspirations: the relationship of the living with the dead. Performers fill the stage (and sometimes the balconies!) to bring Verdi’s Requiem or Britten’s War Requiem or Brahms’ German Requiem to life. These works say profound things, but they far exceed the origins of the form: a chanted mass with additional prayers for the repose of the soul of our beloved departed. Unlike these large, theatrical setting of the Requiem, Gabriel Fauré’s (1845-1924) setting was intended for liturgical use. While this famous work is often heard in concert, it is at its best in the context of the liturgy. Sometimes described as a “lullaby of death,” its gentle themes provide comfort and release over the course of a sometimes sorrowful liturgy. Join the Cathedral Choir and orchestra to experience this work as Fauré conceived of it, as music for divine liturgy to commemorate our faithful departed.