On November 22, the world premiere of my REQUIEM took place before over 1200 people in the sold old Berlin Cathedral. Almost two years of hard work –composing, planning, rehearsing, presenting first parts in pre-concerts– came to a greatly performed culmination. The Berlin press called it an overwhelming world premiere, angel-like sung, a music almost from heaven. The comments of the audience were in no way inferior to that: Beyond all we might have guessed, A wonderful experience,
A great work. Out of this world. truly unique, almost impossible to put into words.
Equally almost impossible to put into words is my gratitude to the conductors Nils Jensen and Hans-Joachim Lustig, to Alexander Lust and Kilian Dumann, the other two members of our production management, to the six members of Lyhrus Ensemble (who were the starting point of it all), to the members of the Bessiner Kammerchor, Cantus Berlin, Kammerchor Canzoneo, Kammerchor ChorWerk Potsdam, and Kammerchor I Vocalisti, to the drummer Sebastian Trimolt as well as to the people at the Berliner Ensemble. All of them made this premiere and this great success possible. I could not be more humble and grateful.
(photo © Bernd Blome)
In this 3rd and last episode of our Making of REQUIEM world premiere interview series, Lyhrus talks about how he tried to deal with the ancient text, Alexander Lust talks about setbacks during the project, Hans-Joachim Lustig tells us why he decided to become part of the project, Kilian Dumann explains what the Requiem as a rite holds for us today ... while silence in Lyhrus' work is what Nils Jensen inspires a lot. Last not least Petra Koerdt summarises the spiritual component of Lyhrus' Requiem in one phrase. Interviews conducted by Wolfram Fette (https://fettestimmen.com). Thanks to everyone at the Berliner Cathedral.
Der Komponist Lyhrus hat 2024 mit seinem REQUIEM ein Werk für sechs Chöre geschaffen, das die Singenden wie Hörenden ein neues Zusammenspiel von Zeit, Klang, Stille und Raum erleben lässt.
Die von Wiederholungen und Erinnerungen durchzogene Komposition, ihre eindringlichen Melodien und kreisenden Gesänge führen tief hinein in die Konzentration auf den Moment. So ist das REQUIEM ein Werk aus dem Geist der Kontemplation – es steht dem Ritual näher als dem repräsentativen Konzert.
Dem entspricht auch die Inszenierung, die den gewaltigen Kuppelraum des Berliner Doms in nächtliches Dunkel taucht. Die Chöre, Ensembles und Solisten durchmessen ihn in Prozessionen, nehmen an unterschiedlichen Orten Aufstellung und erklingen von überall her. In seiner Schönheit und Ruhe wird das REQUIEM von Lyhrus zu einem Klang- und Raumerlebnis, das gerade in Zeiten tiefgreifender gesellschaftlicher Spannungen an das Ursprüngliche erinnern möchte, das uns als Menschen verbindet.
INFOS:
Samstag, 22. November 2025, Berliner Dom
Lyhrus REQUIEM (Uraufführung)
Lyhrus Ensemble, Bessiner Kammerchor, Cantus Berlin, Kammerchor Canzoneo, Kammerchor ChorWerk Potsdam, Kammerchor I Vocalisti sowie Instrumental- und Gesangssolisten
Nils Jensen, Hans-Joachim Lustig - Musikalische Leitung
TICKETS (ab 19,-€):
Shop des Berliner Doms: https://shop.berlinerdom.de/Event/Kalender/25180/50365?Typ=Vorlage
WEBSITES:
INSTAGRAM:
CROWDFUNDING (bis 1. Dezember 2025):
https://startnext.com/lyhrusrequiem
On July 5th, the Triadischer Chor premiered Vigil, the first concert project of Cantus Academy at the Sold out Berlin Osterkirche. I wrote the music and the lyrics, Nils Jensen directed the concert. A contemplative listening experience for all the persons present. Here comes a video with an excerpt from Family, one of the Triadic Chants of the programme. Enjoy.
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(Photo by https://pixabay.com/users/kerttu-569708/)
We invite you to our first concert, VIGIL (Latin: night watch), on Saturday, July 5th, at Berlin's Osterkirche. The performance will be presented by the 35 singers of the Triadischer Chor and its two founders, who together will introduce a new style of choral singing. The foundation for this new approach is specially created music that promotes silence and the art of listening (to one another).
Embedded in a nighttime, dreamlike atmosphere, you can expect a concert experience with touching sounds, melodies, and voices, as well as a contemplative calm that also serves as a conscious response to time constraints, noise, and current social tensions.
The Osterkirche opens its doors at 9 p.m. and invites you to an atmospheric setting with a light refreshment. At 10 p.m., the one-hour night concert VIGIL begins, featuring the songs of the Triadischer Chor under the direction of Nils Jensen, intertwined with pieces by Lyhrus, played on his concert piano.
You are cordially invited to this extraordinary concert experience in many ways!
Cantus Academy
Night Concert VIGIL
Triadischer Chor, Lyhrus (clavier), Nils Jensen (conductor)
Sa, July 5, 2025, Evans. Osterkirche, 10 p.m. (opening at 9 p.m.)
Samoastraße 14, 13353 Berlin Wedding
(U9 Amrumer Straße, S Wedding)
Admission €10, general admission
More information at https://cantus.academy
Listening (to each other) – a precious commodity in these times, a commodity to be defended and reclaimed. At the Cantus Academy, this listening is also the foundation of our work: before singing comes listening. Vigilia, our new choir project, starts on April 23 and 26 in Berlin. Information and registration at https://cantus.academy.
My heartfelt thanks to everyone on stage during the concert on 22nd March 2025 at the Französische Kirche Potsdam, it was a joy to listen and to watch while accompanying.
In paradisum (excerpt) from Requiem, performed by the Lyhrus Ensemble, Kammerchor ChorWerk Potsdam and directed by Hans-Joachim Lustig during the second concert of the REQUIEM concert series 2024 / 2025, ›Lacrymosa‹.
Today I finished the lyrics for a favourite of mine, a Triadic Chant called Not ours which I wrote for Vigilia, the first project of Cantus Academy. Though the topic of the lyrics may be rather serious, I love the music as I think there is actually some hope and warmth in it. [Demo version: The choir is recorded by using a studio library]
What takes a long time finally becomes good: it took me almost half a year to find a moment to edit the footage of our latest live concert. On 28th September 2024 we performed at the Kulturraum Zwinglikirche Berlin before an enthusiastic audience.
The singers were absolutely great and heartwarming, I was just proud and grateful to be part of their performance.
I uploaded 5 videos here, three with the full ensemble, one just with me playing the reed organ, and for the first time Petra's and Isa's duet Two of us, which was loved by so many people in the audience.
Enjoy!
