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Join us for the public premiere of a remarkable new concert film of Johannes Brahms' Ein Deutsches Requiem, created through a ground-breaking collaboration between Choir of the Earth, the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus, Edvard Grieg Kor and Choir of Collegium Musicum.
The Bergen Philharmonic's acclaimed performance took place at the Grieghallen on 22 March 2024, conducted by Edward Gardner and featuring Johanna Wallroth and Brian Mulligan as soloists, with the Chorus under the direction of Håkon Matti Skrede.
High-quality recordings were taken at this performance, capturing the depth and nuance of the orchestra and chorus in vivid detail, and providing the basis for this ambitious project. Choir of the Earth then brought its distinctive expertise in online music-making to the partnership.
Under the direction of Musical Director Ben England, singers around the world learned and rehearsed the Requiem using exclusive materials drawn from the Bergen Philharmonic, then recorded their individual parts from their homes across the globe. Some singers learned and recorded multiple vocal parts - an opportunity not possible in a live performance.
These individual recordings were then skilfully blended with the Bergen Philharmonic's recordings, creating a striking new performance - a true meeting of live and recorded music that bridges time, space and tradition. It unites the grandeur of one of world's leading orchestras with the global reach and shared purpose of Choir of the Earth's international community.
This new concert film, created by Norwegian company Kolibri Media, sets that performance against beautifully crafted imagery from the natural world. Throughout the film, the text of the work appears on screen in the original German alongside an English translation, inviting audiences to engage more deeply with Brahms' powerful setting, whether they have sung or heard it many times previously, or are experience it for the first time.
The film will premiere publicly on YouTube on Thursday 12 March 2026 at 19:00 GMT and is free for everyone to attend. Those who cannot join live are welcome to watch later at the same link.
We do hope you will join us to experience Brahms' masterpiece in this magnificent new form.