At times, it’s difficult to believe we will ever be out of this pandemic. Just as things start to turn the corner, our best plans are dashed. Yet, as we progress, we discover ways to adapt. We find hope in times to come when we will sing together again. As we emerge from these current times, we need to reflect and heal from the collective trauma of this pandemic. Out of this need to heal was born the idea of a Requiem - not as a "mass for the dead" but as an act or token of remembrance. The overall concept for this work is that it is not a typical requiem, but something reflective of our current times and how we emerge from it stronger; a requiem mourning the life we left behind, those we have lost, and hope for the new life to come.

First UMC has commissioned Heather Sorenson to compose this Requiem and is being premiered in the First UMC Sanctuary and featuring the Requiem Festival Chorus and Orchestra. For those who cannot join us on-campus, this is the live-stream of the event.