A newly composed choral work will receive its world premiere at a memorial concert.
Abbatial Requiem, written by Julian Gairdner, will be performed at Worth Abbey in West Sussex on Sunday, November 22, at 7.15pm.
The concert honours the late Fr Stephen Ortiger OSB, former abbot of Worth Abbey and headmaster of Worth School.
Mr Gairdner, who attended Worth School in the 1980s, said: "Decades ago, I wrote a short musical phrase at school that I imagined would open my Requiem if I ever wrote one.
"I have remembered it all these years later and finally given it air in this piece."
The event serves as both a tribute to Fr Ortiger and a fundraiser for the Fr Stephen Ortiger Bursary Fund and the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton’s annual Lourdes pilgrimage.
Fr Ortiger died in January 2024, and Mr Gairdner said his funeral in February inspired him to begin work on the Requiem.
The Abbatial Requiem is written for four-part choir, organ, two trumpets, cello, timpani, glockenspiel and baritone soloist.
Read more:
-
Electronic music star Bonobo announces major show for 2027 tour
-
Family fun, live music and West End star promised at free town event
-
Immersive 360° event to combine live music, moving images and digital art
It broadly follows the traditional Latin format but includes several personal touches.
The third movement, Stephen’s Prayer, is based on an email sent by Fr Ortiger to friends just weeks before his death.
The piece also features the Salve Regina and concludes with a Gloria, echoing the opening Kyrie, and includes an a cappella movement in the style of Gregorian chant.
Mr Gairdner said: "I hope Fr Stephen would be happy with the score.
"For me, it brings back happy memories of rather unsuccessfully trying to teach him the piano in the Old Library next to his study, when I was practising for my Grade 8 exam."
Tickets for the concert are priced at £16.50 and include a complimentary drink.
They can be purchased online at tinyurl.com/abbatial-requiem.
London-based choir Vox Cordis will perform the piece alongside Worthian singers.
The concert programme will also include choral works by Parry and Elgar.
While Mr Gairdner’s career centres on agricultural consultancy, his musical projects span sacred and secular genres, including a stage musical about Jazz Age performer Josephine Baker.
Share