The monumental War Requiem is one of

the great masterpieces of the 20th century

and Britten's most profound and public

statement of his passionately held pacifist beliefs.

By interspersing the traditional Latin 'Mass for the Dead"

with the bitter war poetry of Wilfred Owen, Britten

coveys both the horror of war's futile slaughter

and his deep sympathy with man's self-inflicted

suffering. Above all, the War Requiem is a denunciation

of the wickedness of war and a warning to future

generations of the senselessness of taking up arms

against fellow men - a warning we continue to ignore at

our peril.

Conductor: Paul Kildea
Soloists: Orla Boylan, Allan Clayton, Ronan Collett

Australian Youth Orchestra
Sydney Philharmonia Symphony Chorus and Chamber Singers
Gondwana Voices