Netherlands Radio Choir and Daniel Rowland: Fauré's Requiem and Panufnik I

The Groot Omroepkoor sings conductor Benjamin Goodson's favourite requiem, Fauré's. Star violinist Daniel Rowland joins the choir in Songs of Love & Friendship by Roxanna Panufnik. A work with a Dutch flavour: the lyrics are by the 18th-century liberal writer Belle van Zuylen.

Fauré's Requiem

Fauré's Requiem must be one of the most beautiful choral works in existence,' says conductor Benjamin Goodson. In requiems by Mozart, Verdi and others, you hear hellfire and the wrath of the gods. In Fauré, there is only serenity. Goodson conducts the lyrical work with the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and the Groot Omroepkoor. With the latter ensemble, 'a jewel in the European classical landscape', he recently became chief conductor. Soloists in Fauré's Requiem are soprano Ilse Eerens and baritone Roderick Williams.

Netherlands Radio Choir and Daniel Rowland

For Goodson's inaugural concert with the Groot Omroepkoor, a special collaboration with Daniel Rowland was planned. This renowned violinist was praised by the Volkskrant for his 'captivating playing'. He would accompany the choir as soloist in a new piece by Roxanna Panufnik. A British composer who is internationally acclaimed for her poetic choral works. Her music is deeply saturated with colour,' wrote The Times. Because of COVID-19, we still had that world premiere to look forward to. Today, Rowland and the Groot Omroepkoor will perform Songs of Love & Friendship, to 18th-century text by the liberal Dutch writer Belle van Zuylen.