DCINY Honors Veterans with World Premiere Requeim this Memorial Day

Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) pays tribute to our veterans this Memorial Day with Requiems for the Brave on Monday, May 27 at 7:00pm at Avery Fisher Hall. The evening will feature two works by composer Mark Hayes, who will also conduct: the New York premiere of The Gettysburg Address and the World Premiere of his Requiem. The concert will also feature the Requiem by Maurice Duruflé, in its lush orchestral version, conducted by DCINY Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Jonathan Griffith. Guest soloists include two rising young singers, mezzo-soprano Holly Sorensen and baritone Andrew Garland. The Distinguished Concerts Singers International will feature choruses from across 10 states, as well as from Canada and Hungary. Honored guests will include several area Veteran's groups.

Mark Hayes' inspired setting of The Gettysburg Address expresses triumph, sadness and hope, belying what was a difficult task - setting Lincoln's famous speech to music. For Hayes, it is particularly fitting to hear The Gettysburg Address this Memorial Day: "Our country has experienced so much loss in the last several months. My sincerest desire is that this performance will remind all of us that we stand on the shoulders of those who fought and died for our freedom. They were courageous beyond measure and that courage lives on in us as we are willing to embrace it."

DCINY's Memorial Day tribute also features two modern day Requiems. Mark Hayes' new setting includes seven movements of the Requiem Mass and, other than the dramatic Dies Irae, each movement featuresboth Latin and English texts. Hayes has dedicated his new Requiem to his parents, both of whom passed away in the last few years. Maurice Duruflé's widely-loved masterpiece was commissioned in 1947 by the French music publisher Durand and is written in memory of the composer's father. Duruflé's work incorporates numerous themes from the Gregorian "Mass for the Dead." Mezzo soprano Holly Sorensen and baritone Andrew Garland are the soloists in the Duruflé Requiem, while Garland is also featured in the new Hayes Requiem.

Tickets $20 - $100 at www.lincolncenter.org or CenterCharge at 212.721.6500