Brahms’s German Requiem | City of London Choir/Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

The deep consolation of Brahms’s German Requiem, plus Canteloube’s Songs of the Auvergne.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted”. When Johannes Brahms composed his German Requiem, he wasn’t thinking of heaven or hell; instead, he set out to console the living in a deeply moving masterpiece that speaks straight to the heart. One of London’s most illustrious choirs sings it today, joined by rising baritone Gareth Brynmor John and the fabulous Sophie Bevan – adding all the brightness and beauty of a voice without equal.

First, though, Bevan dives deep into the shimmering, sunlit French landscape of Canteloube’s luscious Songs of the Auvergne, and guest conductor Daniel Hyde sets the mood with one of those classics that sink quietly into your memory: Fauré’s haunting Pavane.