Gabriel Fauré: Requiem in D minor, Op. 48

Unlike the Italian opera composer Verdi, who set the text of the Requiem to music in an extroverted, operatic version 13 years earlier, Gabriel Fauré relies more on the gentle tones of consolation in his Requiem.

It is therefore not surprising that he does not place the ‘Dies Irae’, with its terrifying depiction of the Last Judgement, at the centre of his composition, but instead sets only the words of the ‘Pie Jesu Domine’ to music in a comforting soprano solo.

The Requiem then concludes with the ‘In paradisum’, a hymn traditionally sung during the procession of the coffin from the church to the cemetery. With this piece, Fauré paints a peaceful picture of death, allowing us to glimpse the peace of the Kingdom of Heaven.

On Saturday 14 November at 6.00 pm, the St Nikolai Choir, together with Misaki Kobayashi (soprano) and Christian Wagner (bass), accompanied by Daniel Clark (organ), will present a version for organ, choir and soloists. The performance will be conducted by KMD Bernhard Kruse.

• The concert will take place in the medieval hall church of St Nikolai in Berlin-Spandau on Reformationsplatz (Spandau Old Town).

Admission is free. However, the organisers are relying on generous donations to help fund the concert.