KCOV Amsterdam
The KCOV Amsterdam is known for its beautiful choral sound and will sing Ein deutsches Requiem by Johannes Brahms. Before the intermission , Sunrise Mass by Ola Gjeilo will be performed. The KCOV Amsterdam has been giving a concert at the Concertgebouw for 120 years, usually twice a year—a beautiful tradition.
A German Requiem
Discover Brahms' moving masterpiece. In Ein deutsches Requiem, there is no ominous music about the Day of Judgment: his Requiem is about solace, encouragement, and the meaning of life. For Ein deutsches Requiem , Brahms selected passages from Luther's Bible translation that address themes such as grief, transience, and consolation. Instead of a prayer for the dead, Brahms emphasizes the emotions of the bereaved, the living. That explains why he would have preferred to call his composition Ein menschliches Requiem. Not heavy mourning, but a hymn to life and solace for the soul.
Sunrise Mass
The Norwegian-born composer Ola Gjeilo has since become one of the most performed composers in the international choral world. The Sunrise Mass , also known as Symphonic Mass , was composed in 2008. In his music, Gjeilo demonstrates how his work possesses a harmonious, spiritual, and cinematic sound that is both contemporary and accessible. He combines classical choral traditions with subtle elements from pop, folk, and jazz, influences he absorbed during his studies at the Juilliard School in New York.