Accentus & Laurence Equilbey: Fauré – Requiem

Unlike the apocalyptic thunder of Verdi or Berlioz, Gabriel Fauré envisioned death as a peaceful release, scoring his 1893 Requiem with warm violas, cellos, harp, and organ rather than aggressive brass. Laurence Equilbey directs the chamber choir Accentus with exquisite French clarity, prioritising translucent vocal textures and gentle dynamic shading. The concluding In Paradisum floats with an angelic weightlessness that feels intimate yet vast, like looking up into the vaulted ceiling of a sunlit stone chapel.