By Randi Bjornstad

It is Mother’s Day on May 8, and the 130 voices of the Eugene Concert Choir and Eugene Vocal Arts, under the direction of founder and conductor Diane Retallack and accompanied by the Eugene Concert Orchestra, will honor the holiday with an especially appropriate performance.

They will present Johannes Brahms’ Requiem, which has an especially appropriate origin, considered by the composer as a “human requiem,” an expression of “human comfort,” which many believe was inspired by his mother and a tribute to the preciousness of human existence.

In that context, this performance takes on even more significance, as the world is relentlessly witness to conflicts in all parts of the globe, women, men, and children under siege, fighting not only for peace for their families but often for their very existence.

“This is a deeply comforting masterwork that has withstood the test of time,” Retallack said “Sharing the Brahms Requiem with the community is a special way for us to honor our dearly departed and find solace in the beauty of our shared human experience.”

In fact, there will be a “memorial wall” in the lobby of the Hult Center where those attending the concert can post memories to honor they love who are no longer living.

It is also particularly appropriate that Brahms wrote his Requiem to speak to the emotions and values of people of all faiths. The opening strains offer blessings from those in sorrow, followed by a request to “the hand of God” to lift up all humanity, and concluding with blessings upon those who have died.

Soloists for this performance are soprano Saori Debruyn and baritone Anton Belov.

Six weeks after this concert, the group will travel to New York City to repeat the performance on June 20 in Radio City Music Hall.

Eugene Concert Choir presents the Brahms Requiem

When: 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 8, 2022

Where: Silva Concert Hall, Hult Center for the Performing Arts, One Eugene Center (7th and Willamette streets), Eugene

Tickets: $25 to $52, $10 for youths and students; discounts available for senior citizens and groups of 10 or more, available at the Hult Center box office, 541-682-5000 or online at EugeneConcertChoir.org