Britten’s profound and arresting masterpiece, War Requiem, has inspired audiences the world over since its first performance in 1962.  Juxtaposing texts from the Latin Requiem Mass and the Wilfred Owen’s deeply moving Would War I poems, it was commissioned to celebrate the re-consecration of Coventry Cathedral which was destroyed during the Battle of Britain in World War II.
 
The Royal Irish Academy of Music is proud to present Britten’s magnum opus in the landmark centenary year of the outbreak of The Great War.   This special performance by the combined forces the Royal Irish Academy of Music and guests, under the baton of James Cavanagh, will undoubtedly highlight War Requiem’s powerful relevance today, serving as a strong reminder of the utter horror and futility of war. 

http://www.nch.ie/Online/Britten-War-Requiem-22Nov14