the Commission of the Requiem
Requiem by Heather Sorenson
What Is and Why a Requiem?
For many, the term requiem means a “mass for the dead”. A requiem is also and act or token of remembrance. Each year, we light candles and ring bells for All Saints Day, Veterans Day, Memorial Day, and many other significant moments of remembrance. Each of these is also a requiem.
At times, it’s difficult to believe we will ever be out of this pandemic. Just as things start to turn the corner, our best plans are dashed. Yet, as we progress, we discover ways to adapt. We find hope in times to come when we will sing together again. As we emerge from these current times, we need to reflect and heal from the collective trauma of this pandemic. Out of this need to heal was born the idea of a Requiem. The overall concept for this work is that it is not a typical requiem, but something reflective of our current times and how we emerge from it stronger; a requiem mourning the life we left behind, those we have lost, and hope for the new life to come.
First UMC has commissioned Heather Sorenson to compose this Requiem with a premiere date of April 2023. The financial support for the Requiem is solely from donations by our congregation and community, with a little over 1/3 raised so far. You can donate online via Subsplash or by sending a check to the church office. Please note on your donation "SING23".
Who is Heather Sorenson?
Heather Sorenson entered the church music industry in her twenties, and her name quickly became a welcomed fixture in the publishing world. Heather is hired by the largest and most respected publishers in the world, and her pieces remain at the top of bestsellers lists and editor's choice selections.
Diversity is the characteristic that makes Heather somewhat of an anomaly in the industry as she easily maneuvers both the traditional and contemporary genres of Christian music, often combining the two for a unique blend that has become her artistic fingerprint. Initially recognized for her skill as a pianist, Heather is now known for her compositions in choral anthems, solo piano collections, and orchestrations. Her works are performed regularly at competitions, concerts, recitals, and churches worldwide. Over the past several years, Heather has appeared multiple times at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and Constitution Hall in the roles of pianist and composer.
Why we chose Heather Sorenson to compose the Requiem.
In brief, her perspective and empathy. Here, in her own words:
“Sometimes the path we’ve been given in life slowly shapes us into a different person - each individual step bringing us more into the image of Christ. But then sometimes our path takes steep turns- its marks causing us to be almost unrecognizable from the person we were before. Like so many of God’s own, I have been deeply etched. I am not the same person I was a few years ago. When I see all the marks on my life - places where God deeply cut things out, shattered things that I hung onto unwisely, stitched up wounds inflicted by my own error - sometimes my "disfigurations" overwhelm me.
I am learning to embrace my marks; you see, every time God’s chisel chips away a part of me, it exposes a piece of Christ underneath. The scars that seemed to strip me of my own beauty are changing me into a picture of God’s Beautiful Son. And in this light, I am honored to bear God’s marks. They have changed my image of God, my relationship with God, and they have changed my worship of God.”
When will the Requiem be completed?
The world premiere of Requiem was held on April 23, 2023 in the First UMC sanctuary and live-streamed for those who could not be here on our campus. There will also be a premiere of Requiem in Carnegie Hall in November 2023. If you would like more information on these premieres, please visit our Requirem Premiere page.