Orquesta Joven de Andalucía at Seville Opera House

About the Event

A Fiercely Human Song

“Since I believe that the spirit of God dwells in every human being, I cannot destroy, and I feel it is my duty to avoid helping to destroy human life.” This is how the young Benjamin Britten stated his conscientious objection before a British court in 1942. Exiled to the United States since 1939, he sought to avoid any involvement in the global conflict. In 1962, the rededication of Coventry Cathedral—ruined by German bombs—would give him the opportunity to show the world the senselessness of war and the need for reconciliation.

The Andalusian Youth Orchestra and the Andalusian Youth Choir, conducted by Álvaro Albiach, present *War Requiem*, a monument to grief and brotherhood in which Catholic liturgy engages in dialogue with the verses of the poet Wilfred Owen, who died in combat in 1918. Britten mobilizes an impressive vocal and instrumental ensemble to portray in music the fears, longings, and hopes of human beings, ranging from intimate supplication to unbridled terror. An excellent opportunity to immerse oneself in this major work of the 20th century—still fully relevant today—performed by a new generation of top‐tier artists. A requiem for life.