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A Secular State? (Bill Broughton, Dec.5th,2006)


ComposerMusic
John RutterOut of the Deep (Requiem)
Hildegard of BingenO viridissima virga
John TavenerHemn to the Mother of God
John TavenerHymn for the Dormition of the Mother of God
Richard Rodney BennettMissa Brevis
RachmaninovO come, let us worship our King (Vespers)
Sofia GubaidulinaOrchestral music inspired by "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"
Valentin SilvestrovLargo from "Requiem for Larissa"
Geoffrey BurgonNunc Dimittis
James MacmillanMagnificat

The title might appear to sit oddly with a programme made up exclusively of religious music, but the question mark is crucial. Bill explained it as follows. We constantly hear that we live in a secular state yet, given that so much religious music is still being written, (all but two of the featured composers are contemporary) can this really be so?