Parisian Spring | Goldsmiths Choral Union

A fabulously optimistic concert featuring three Parisian composers. The Fauré and Duruflé Requiem masses are linked by Lili Boulanger’s haunting setting of Pie Jesu. This music can’t fail to raise the spirits as we mark the first day of spring.

The requiem masses of Fauré and Duruflé are distinctly optimistic in character. They both paint a picture of a welcoming heaven and a forgiving God. Fauré’s requiem was completed in 1890, Duruflé’s in 1947. Lili Boulanger (the sister of Nadia Boulanger) died in 1918 aged 24. She had a short but notably successful career, becoming the first woman to win the prestigious Prix de Rome composition competition. In this concert, spanning the Parisian music scene over 60 years, Lili Boulanger’s haunting Pie Jesu is the link between the two well-loved choral works.