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Jonathan Rathbone
1957 -
Great Britain, England
Jonathan Rathbone (17/09/1957), an English singer and composer, born Coventry.
Requiem aeternam
Requiem aeternam, for chorus (after the 'Air on the G string' from Bach's Orchestral Suite No. 3).
Requiem for the condemned man
Requiem for the condemned man is for mixed choir and instruments.
The work is approximately 55 minutes in duration. Words from the Latin Missa Pro Defunctis and additional poetry by Paul Whitnall.
When a man is sentenced to death, and all appeals are exhausted, there comes that strange and terrifying time when the prisoner knows exactly when and how he will die. He is as good as dead, yet he is not dead. This is a Requiem for the man condemned to die. It uses words from the Latin Mass for the Dead, and modern words by Paul Whitnall. It is written for two soloists: tenor (the prisoner) and soprano (the victim), chorus and orchestra. The chorus play an important role - in that they reflect our attitudes to his imminent execution. Hopefully, the audience will be able to reflect on their own attitudes towards capital punishment. |