Sneak Peek: Palm Sunday Concert on April 2
Tickets are going fast for our Palm Sunday concert, featuring "Requiem" by Maurice Duruflé and "Motets" by Francis Poulenc. Now we've got a sneak peek for you.
Take a virtual trip to Paris, where you’ll meet two of the greatest French composers of the 20th century, as we journey with Jesus from the cross to the grave to eternal life. It’s a perfect way to start your Holy Week.
From the press release:
As two of Paris’ greatest 20th century composers, Poulenc and Duruflé pioneered new forms of musical expression within the Catholic Church. Duruflé, whose “Requiem” is built exclusively on the Gregorian Mass for the Dead, created a thoroughly modern expression of an ancient music form. Poulenc took inspiration for his four motets from Scripture, particularly texts used during Holy Week: Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday.
Duruflé’s “Requiem” encourages deep reflection on the human experience and the ultimate mystery of death. Many consider it to be Duruflé’s greatest achievement. A work conceived for a lofty Gothic space, Washington National Cathedral offers a unique perspective of the “Requiem” not unlike being in the Cathedral of Notre Dame, Paris.
Each movement of Poulenc’s “Sept répons des ténèbres” recalls a different scene from Holy Week Scripture, including Jesus in Gethsemane, Judas’ betrayal of Jesus, the crucifixion of Jesus, his death, and burial. The piece inspires reflection prior to the celebratory Easter Sunday.
Tickets start at $20, and are available at cathedral.org/concerts.