Britten's 'War Requiem' is performed by City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, CBSO Chorus Choir of St Paul's Cathedral under Edward Gardner, with Albina Shagimuratova (soprano ), Toby Spence (tenor ) and Russell Braun (baritone).
(Marking the 100th anniversary of Benjamin Britten’s birth, the 'War Requiem' is performed by the CBSO who gave its première in Coventry Cathedral in 1962. In keeping with the composer’s original intention to demonstrate a spirit of unity in the wake of the two World Wars, the performance will be sung by soloists from England, Germany and Russia. Interspersing the traditional Latin text of the requiem mass with the poems of Wilfred Owen, this immensely moving work is a powerful evocation of the pity of war and the creativity of reconciliation.)