Invictus – Cantata for Liberty / Mozart’s Requiem – Brighton Festival Chorus

A world premiere is always exciting, and ‘Invictus’ (by conductor James Morgan and mezzo singer Juliette Pochin) was a fresh and ambitious piece. The readings before each movement were a nice thematic touch but partly disrupted the momentum of the music. Emily Dickinson’s ‘No Rack Can Torture Me’ poem was the most impressive section musically with inviting swirls of drums and a big, melodic crescendo. Both the Festival Youth Choir and Community Youth Choir joined the BFC on stage for ‘Invictus’ and their being welcomed to watch Mozart’s Requiem in the crowd was a welcomingly accessible and inclusive touch from the BFC. Actors gave some fun context to the piece (using a scene from ‘Amadeus’) and the piece was stunningly sung, including a thunderous, thrilling ‘Rex tremendae’.

Concert Hall, Brighton Dome, 11 June 2015

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