h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

If you ever get the chance, join the chorus and sing this piece.

It is even more powerful when you create the sound than when you listen to it. It's not particularly difficult either. So if you can carry a tune, find out if your local choral society's doing it and go along to rehearsals. I guarantee, you will not be disappointed.

By the way, Salieri's Requiem also has some stonking moments. Pity it's so overlooked.

Mojo

I definitely will try and sing it, when they next perform it here. I'd love to play in the orchestra as well.

Am I to assume from your post that you have sung it?

I didn't know Salieri wrote a Requiem, I've only found a little of his music. I'll try and find the Requiem by him.

Niwt

Yes I've sung this piece - slightly more often than is probably decent! I'm trying to get to know all the famous Requiems (Requia?), but I've never found a better one than Mozart's.

You want to play in the orchestra? I can imagine that has an equally exhilarating effect. I can't play an instrument myself - too many thumbs!

Getting hold of Salieri's is difficult. I've got a scratchy old cassette tape of it, but I've yet to find it avaliable on CD. If you see it, let me know!

Mojo

I quite like Fauré's Requiem, but it's not in the same league as Mozart's. Verdi's I've never heard, Saint-Saëns I found a bit like Fauré's but not very good, I've only heard part of the Lloyd Webber. What have you heard of?

I've just looked around to see if I could download Salieri's Requiem, but I couldn't find it.

I play percussion...I would love to do the big booming drum (actually I think it's timpani) in the Lacrimosa of Mozart's Requiem...

Niwt

Having played in an orchestra for a performance of Mozart's Requiem I can only concur, that it really does leave a strking impression on anyone fortunate enough to have been involved. I sometimes feel that all my years of childhood music lessons and orchestra practises were worth it for the one perfomance of this piece of music.

Even summoning a section of the score in my mind brings a lump to my throat, a background whisper of the music in a film raises the hairs on the back of my neck and listening to a recording can be a near religious experience (which says something coming from a 'non-believer').

I'm just glad I got the opportunity to take part in performing such a magnificent piece of music and would encourage anyone to partake in an orchestra or chorus that offers such an exhilarating experience. In fact, actively seek it out.

I recommend Bruckner's. I'm listening to it now.