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Coventry Cathedral's new war requiem set for premiere

Coventry UK City of Culture 2021 Artworks during rehearsals projected onto the cathedral wallsCoventry UK City of Culture 2021
Artworks will be projected on the walls of the cathedral during the performance's premiere

A new war requiem to mark the 60th anniversary of Coventry Cathedral will be a "unique" celebration, its composer says.

The piece is having its premiere on Thursday and musician Nitin Sawhney composed it for 2021 City of Culture.

Ghosts in the Ruins will be performed in both the new cathedral and the remains of the old cathedral site.

"I think people will be really stunned and I feel that they will really regret it if they do not go," Mr Sawhney said.

The new Coventry Cathedral was built alongside the ruins of the previous building which was mostly demolished by German bombs in 1940.

The composition follows Benjamin Britten's War Requiem which was commissioned to mark the new cathedral's consecration in 1962.

Nitin Sawhney CBE
Requiem composer Nitin Sawhney said the piece would explore ideas of peace and reconciliation

The performance will begin in the modern site, with performances by violinist Eos Counsell and the Coventry Cathedral choristers. The audience will then be invited to the ruins where professional musicians and choirs will be joined by community singers.

As well as music, five local poets have created words for the new piece to reflect the city's past, present and future.

Hawwa Hussain is one of them and says she will recite a poem on the future that draws on her own experiences.

"It is obviously a bit nerve-wracking but what is really helpful is I will not be alone, I will have all the other poets so that is making me less nervous," she said.

Coventry UK City of Culture 2021 Rehearsal in the ruinsCoventry UK City of Culture 2021
The requiem will move from the modern cathedral to the ruins next door

Ghosts in the Ruins will explore ideas of peace and reconciliation and reflect Coventry as a city of sanctuary, Mr Sawhney said.

"It is a really exciting, unique way to celebrate not only the cathedral but also Coventry itself," he explained.

"The new building is stunning and then you go to the ruins which are just epic and the backdrop is just going to feel so cinematic."

Art works by Mark Murphy will also be projected on to the walls inside the cathedral.

Following its premiere on Thursday, the requiem will be performed on Friday and Saturday.

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