Recording: Performed by the Youtube Symphony Orchestra 2011 (17′)

Britten, from Britain, was one of the greatest 20th century composers around WWII, and he was pretty much the first person to write English operas since Handel and Henry Purcell in the Baroque. He also wrote an incredibly haunting piece called “War Requiem” where he combines the Catholic requiem text with Wilfred Owen’s war poems. This piece is a handy showcase of all the orchestra’s instruments and their various combinations. It’s also a very showy piece that features 1) a quote from Purcell (English heritage!), 2) variations on the theme, 3) a fugue, and 4) the original theme/quote + fugue. See if you can catch all of that while identifying what instruments are playing at the same time! Try listening with and without watching the video.

By the way, I know the bass clarinetist, Christine Carter, in that video! She did her master’s at UWO and did a study on practising habits which I actually participated in. You can still find her video audition online – the cool thing about the Youtube Symphony Orchestra is that anyone can audition – even you and me!

Score Excerpts