​Duruflé’s much-loved Requiem, written in 1947, is based entirely on the Gregorian Chants traditionally used in the Mass for the Dead. The composer wrote: "This Requiem is not an ethereal work which sings of detachment from earthly worries. Rather, it reflects the immutable form of Christian prayer...finding hope in the ultimate answer of Faith to all questions, by the flight of the soul to Paradise." The music is at times dramatic or resigned, but always filled with hope. Duruflé translates our very human fears of the unknown into a consoling destiny.

 

The Hannah Knudsen Memorial Fund was established to honor the life of a young girl who was tragically killed in a bicycle accident in Falls Church in 2000. This is the inaugural concert in what we hope will become an annual event. ​