Parker County Community Choir to present Fauré’s “Requiem” May 4
The Parker County Community Choir will present Gabriel Fauré’s “Requiem” at 7 p.m. Monday, May 4, at the Alkek Fine Arts Center under the direction of Weatherford College choir director Rick Rainey. Admission is free.
The spring concert centers on Fauré’s best‑known choral work, a piece the composer once described as reflecting death as a peaceful deliverance rather than an experience of fear. Rainey selected the work as a response to grief and uncertainty, both personal and collective.
Earlier this year, the choir lost longtime member Roger Smith unexpectedly. The ensemble unanimously chose to dedicate the performance to Smith, his wife Susan and their daughter Krystal, all of whom have been involved with the community choir.
Rainey also invited choir members to dedicate the performance privately to individuals in their own lives, adding a personal layer to the concert. American choral conductor Dennis Keene has described Fauré’s Requiem as depicting human longing, sorrow and fear alongside hope, peace and the promise of rest.
Fauré, who spent much of his career as a church organist, wrote the Requiem late in the 19th century after accompanying countless burial services.
Soloists for the performance include Ryan Strittmatter (Offertory), Elizabeth Drews (Pie Jesu) and Tyler West‑Sumrall (Libera me, Domine). Jacob Von Deylen will serve as accompanist.
The program includes Introit and Kyrie, Offertory, Sanctus, Pie Jesu, Agnus Dei, Libera me and In Paradisum.
The Parker County Community Choir is composed of singers from across the region and is open to adult singers of all experience levels.