Requiem

I just saw a reportage on TV about the Swedish radio choir,

one of the most famous choirs in the world.

I remember when I sang with them. It was at the premiere of SvenDavid Sandströms Requiem. They needed a children choir but

because of the difficulty and the provocative
lyrics they couldn’t use children. Young girls
had to do…

We rehearsed for one year and on the preforming day there were demonstrations

outside the concert hall and the place was under bomb scare.

The lyrics
were extremely obscene but I think it was necessary to make people

react andwake up before the facts of rape, torture and persecution.

The music was composed for orchestra, two choirs and sound track.

The choirs gave form to horror and sarcasm.

The lamb wasn’t the symbol of the Purification, but a caricature
of forgiveness, a lamb with the just raped Mary

dangling in his mouth…

When the lyrics described the group rape of a young girl, the music was still

and beautiful just to later become like sounds off hell…

This piece of art is nothing you just listen to on the go, no, this piece of art requires

your full attention for more than two hours. When you listen to it you’ll be

deeply touched, and you have to be prepared, not in a pleasant way. But that’s

just right, this requiem isnot for pleasure.

If you are prepared totaste, follow the link:

To read more: (in Swedish)

(In English)