May 3 Concert

On May 3rd, the second concert of the festival, entitled “The Road West”, takes us to Europe as audience members encounter the tradition, innovation, and beauty of Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem. 2024 marks 100 years since Fauré’s death. He was one of the most revered composers of the late 19th century and his beautiful Requiem, unlike traditional requiem settings, embraces a serene and contemplative approach, focusing on the themes of rest, peace, and eternal light.

The concert will feature soprano soloist Samantha Barnes Daniel, and baritone Matthew Astone, both members of Orlando Sings’ professional award-winning ensemble Solaria. We are thrilled that the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra will once again join Orlando Sings for this year’s festival. Concertmaster Rimma Bergeron-Langlois will play the beautiful violin solo in the third movement.

Paired on the concert with Faure’s Requiem will be composer Reena Esmail’s Malhaar: A Requiem for Water, which demonstrates the composer’s unique and groundbreaking blend of Indian and Western classical styles.

In Hindustani music, “Malhaar” refers to a family of raags that beckon rain. The work intertwines texts from the traditional Latin Requiem mass alongside the work of Wendell Berry and William O’Daly, along with interspersed Hindi text. It traces a trajectory of beauty and awe of water, the fear and devastation around its loss, an answered plea of atonement, and eventually a promise of a new cycle of life. This piece will feature renowned Hindustani soprano Saili Oak and tabla recording artist Shankh Lahiri.