Briggs, Kerensa: Requiem

Immersed in sacred choral music from an early age, Kerensa Briggs has a deep appreciation of the connection between music and faith, as well as an innate understanding of composing for voices. The writing of her Requiem, which was first performed by the BBC Singers on Armistice Day 2022, was a personal journey that took over a year. The result was a heartfelt and beautiful setting of nine sections from the Office for the Dead, plus words from Revelation 14:13 (‘I heard a voice from heaven’) at the heart of the musical journey. The work is founded on Gregorian chant and influenced by Requiem composers over the centuries, not least Maurice Duruflé. With minimal divisi (aside from some double-choir sections in the latter half of the work) and an unobtrusive but supportive organ accompaniment, Kerensa Briggs’s Requiem is brimming with her own exceptional musical voice and is a notable and captivating addition to the modern sacred choral repertoire.