Erie Philharmonic Performs Britten's War Requiem
Junior Philharmonic and Youth Chorale join for poignant reflections
SATURDAY, MAY 9
The Erie Philharmonic will be finishing the 2025-26 Symphonic Series with a reflection on the horrors of war and a prayer for peace with Benjamin Britten's War Requiem, in collaboration with the Erie Philharmonic Chorus, Junior Chorus, and Youth Chorale. Preceding the composition in performance is John Williams' "Hymn To The Fallen" from Saving Private Ryan alongside the Erie Junior Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra.
"Britten's War Requiem is a universal plan for peace," Erie Philharmonic Music Director Daniel Meyer describes. "It becomes this omnipresent prayer through combining the traditional Latin Requiem with Wilfred Owen's war texts."
Owen's own experiences as a soldier influenced his writing – many of his poems, including "Anthem for Doomed Youth," "But I Was Looking At The Permanent Stars," "The Parable of the Old Man and the Young," and "Strange Meeting" are derived from observations while at war. During the crossing of the Sambre-Oise Canal in Northern France, he was killed one week before the signing of the Armistice. Britten's views on pacifism influenced the piece, drawing from Owen's poetry alongside his grief for Piers Dunkerley, a friend who had survived World War II and taken his own life a few years prior. Premiering on May 30, 1962, to mark the consecration of Coventry Cathedral after its destruction during the Blitz, the War Requiem was dedicated in memory of Dunkerley alongside three of Britten's friends who died during the war.
For Meyer, the pairing of War Requiem and "Hymn to the Fallen" echoed the impact of Britten and Owen's combined storytelling on veterans and communities worldwide. "The idea of interpolating the Williams was to kind of localize this universal experience, which is to say, honor our local veterans, honor our local families who have served in wars, and deserve some recognition for the sacrifice that they've made. And so, rather than do a standalone piece or something that was completely unrelated, I thought we might actually take a page out of Benjamin Britten's book by interpolating this poignant but short and beautiful 'Hymn To The Fallen' as a way to recognize and to honor those families locally who have made a sacrifice in an effort to keep us in peace."
The preparation for this performance requires multiple ensembles working in tandem, including the Junior Philharmonic with Jerry Anderson, the Philharmonic Chorus with Thomas Brooks, and members of the Junior and Youth Chorus under the direction of Sharon Downey. The children's choir in War Requiem is a major part of the emotional storytelling, singing in call-and-response with the adults and serving as a heavenly voice of innocence.
"I think from the beginning of his compositional career, he always cared about writing music that could be performed by and understood by young people," Meyer reflected when thinking about Britten's role in children's music education. "It serves as a warning that this innocence is easily destroyed and corrupted – if we continue down this path of destruction and war. And so, from a dramatic standpoint, the children's voices serve as a true foil to the drama, the bombast, and the wartime poetry of Owen, all transpiring on stage."
Meyer believes in drawing on personal and emotional experiences during the rehearsal process, reflecting in the same manner as Britten and Williams did for their musicians, with Steven Spielberg bringing in Tom Hanks to read Abraham Lincoln's Bixby letter during the recording sessions for Saving Private Ryan.
"I think you can't avoid your own personal experiences, and whether it's the stories from your family, whether it's your own grappling with history, in your high school history courses or reading books about heroism such as The Diary of Anne Frank or Night by Eli Wiesel. We need to keep revisiting these things if we're to truly appreciate what brought us here, but ultimately, to consider how we might steer away from conflict and find peaceful ways to coexist. In Britten's mind, that's the primary focus. I'm not convinced he thinks it's possible. But at least it's there as a glimmer of hope."
7:30 p.m. // Warner Theatre, 811 State St. // $27-$68 // For tickets and info: eriephil.org
