COMMUNITY PROJECT

Monnaie, Requiem by Howard Moody

THE BRUSSELS REQUIEM
HOWARD MOODY
World Creation

Part of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union

The Brussels Requiem is a commission of the Belgium opera from the English composer Howard Moody for the writing of a requiem inspired by a Community Project for Children managed by the Cultural Development service of La Monnaie with the Monnaie’s children’s choir and six schools in the city. The children have worked for seven weeks on related topics of the Latin requiem, eternal rest, the fear or anger, the rituals and celebrations, mourning, the desire of liberty and hope

. During the workshops run by La Monnaie’s pedagogic team and Howard Moody, they wrote the texts and the songs and learnt certain passages from Verdi’s and Fauré’s Requiems, as well as Gregorian chants. The result of this first phase was presented 29^th October 2009 at La Monnaie.

The production of this work will bring together the young participants of the educational project with the Monnaie’s children’s choir (conducting by Denis Menier) the Belgian soprano Anne-Catherine Gillet, the Italian bass Gianbattista Parodi, six musicians of the Orchestre symphonique de la Monnaie and the Orchestre du Conservatoire royal de Bruxelles. Howard Moody himself will be conducting, with the assistance of the director Benoît de Leersnyder and the choreographer Ela Bauman.

Anne-Catherine Gillet will sing the role of Perséphone and Gianbattista Parodi the role of Charon for his debuts at La Monnaie. The Belgian soprano will also take up the role of Musetta in December in Homoki’s new production of La Bohème and sing in the Cherubini’s concert. By her side, the Italian basse will play the role of Colline.