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Nitin Sawhney commissioned to create a contemporary 鈥榃ar Requiem鈥� to mark 60th anniversary of Coventry Cathedral.
Sandra spoke to The Very Reverend John Whicombe from Coventry Cathedral about the commission.

Coventry Cathedral and Coventry City of Culture Trust has announced 鈥楪hosts in the Ruins鈥�, a new site-specific commission created by Ivor Novello Lifetime Achievement recipient Nitin Sawhney CBE with the people of Coventry. The commission marks the 60th anniversary of the consecration of Coventry Cathedral, for which Benjamin Britten鈥檚 masterpiece 鈥榃ar Requiem鈥� was created. It receives its world premiere on 27 January 2022, with two additional performances on 28 and 29 January.

Created with Coventry鈥檚 professional musicians, poets and communities 鈥楪hosts in the Ruins鈥� will explore contemporary ideas of peace and reconciliation and reflect Coventry as a city of sanctuary, with a strong history of helping refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants, and acknowledging a sense of connection to the rest of the world. The work will explore themes of acceptance, healing, transcendence, hope, resilience, regeneration and reconciliation in relation to contemporary conflicts, is an acknowledgement of the destruction of the past as well as hope for the future of the world.

The performance will be in two linked parts - the first part is seated inside the modern Cathedral, with a focus on intimate and reflective choral moments, featuring performances by singer YVA, violinist Eos Counsell and the Coventry Cathedral choristers and local poets. The audience will then be invited to move into the Ruins of the Cathedral to experience a dramatic conclusion, during which the professional musicians and choirs will be joined by community singers from in and around Coventry. The community singers and choristers will be led and directed by Coventry Cathedral鈥檚 Director of Music Rachel Mahon, who is also a Creative Associate on the project.

Alongside the choral and musical elements will be a series of specially-commissioned poems by Coventry poets and visual images by the artist Mark Murphy, projected onto the walls of the interior of the Cathedral. These will create a sense of journey for the audience, from the past to the present, using a combination of archival image, collage and text.

The unique setting of Coventry鈥檚 two Cathedrals provides a poignant and moving setting for the performance. Following the destruction of the old Cathedral in the Coventry Blitz of November 1940, the Provost Howard made a commitment not to seek revenge, but to strive for forgiveness and reconciliation with those responsible. This commitment has guided Coventry Cathedral鈥檚 mission and is key to the City鈥檚 international standing as a city of Peace and Reconciliation. Sir Basil Spence, the new Cathedral鈥檚 architect, conceived building the new cathedral alongside the old, the two buildings serving as a physical symbol of destruction and resurrection.

Britten鈥檚 War Requiem is Coventry Cathedral鈥檚 signature work. The piece received its world premi猫re at the Cathedral in May 1962 conducted by the composer and Meredith Davies as part of the 1962 Coventry Festival.
It immediately stood out amongst twentieth century compositions, entering the international repertoire as a huge and challenging work for performers and audiences alike. Since then, this iconic work has been performed all over the world but is still uniquely linked with Coventry Cathedral, its stand against war and violence, and its plea for humanity to come to its senses and find another way to resolve conflict.
Nitin Sawhney says: 鈥淲hen I was first approached for this commission, I was very excited at the prospect of creating an immersive experience based around the human voice, evoking the relationship between the people of Coventry and the historically significant cathedral in the heart of its city. It seemed the best way to approach this was to work with voices within the new cathedral building as well as the ruins of the original cathedral bombed in WWII. I was also impressed by how Coventry has risen as a city from that painful past and how it has embraced its inspiring role as a place of sanctuary for those in need from other cities affected by war and violence. This creative project is a tribute to how the people of Coventry have transcended the ghost of their past to become a guiding light for the world.鈥�

The Very Reverend John Witcombe, Dean of Coventry Cathedral, says: 鈥淲e know that this contemporary take on our iconic work will bring a new audience in to experience the power of our story to change hearts and lives, and to inspire young and old to find their own grounds for hope for the future. As we begin our Diamond Jubilee year, we are delighted to be working with Nitin, who has a deep appreciation of the significance of Britten鈥檚 legacy and will help lift it into the next generation.鈥�

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