July 15, 2002

Worldwide Tribute Planned for 9-11
Unidentified Woman's Vision Sparks a Rolling Requiem

Seattle, Washington, USA - Imagine on September 11, 2002, a world standing together to remember. Humanity gathered for a moment in time, to lift up its voice in song, in prayer, in honor of those who perished one year before.

This vision is being realized as choirs from around the world volunteer to join the Rolling Requiem - a worldwide choral commemoration of 9-11 with performances of Mozart's Requiem in each time zone. Concerts will begin on Wednesday, September 11, 2002 at 8:46 AM, the moment of the first attack on the World Trade Center. Beginning at the International Date Line and soaring from time zone to time zone, these heartfelt concerts will follow the sun around the world, providing 24 hours of music, giving voice to hope and healing.

Why Mozart's Requiem? In late January, following a performance of the Requiem by the Seattle Symphony and Chorale, a singer had a chance encounter with a patron. This unidentified woman shared her vision:

Halfway through your performance, I had this wonderful idea. Wouldn't it be great if somehow all the best choruses in the country could join together and ring the area around Ground Zero in New York after the cleanup is completed? You all could sing the Requiem in honor of those who died. There'd surely be enough singers to represent one voice for each person lost.

Through her vision, the Rolling Requiem began to take shape. A small group of people from the Seattle Symphony Chorale made it their goal, as volunteers, to ask choirs all over the world to help remember those now gone and embrace those left behind on the first anniversary of 9-11. Instead of just one concert at Ground Zero, the idea expanded. Choruses around the world would be invited to perform Mozart's Requiem on September 11, 2002 - beginning at 8:46 AM, in each respective time zone.

"We have had an enthusiastic and genuine response to the invitations we've sent to choirs worldwide. The project strikes a very positive chord," says Rolling Requiem Committee Chairperson Madeline Johnson. "Almost 125 choirs are actively considering joining. Already, thirty are definite. Most of them are also recruiting other choirs in their regions." Participating choirs come from eastern and western Europe, Asia, the United States and Central America.

A choir in Riga, Latvia replied to their invitation almost immediately. "Not only will we sing in our country's largest performance space, we are inviting choirs from all over our country to join us," the Riga choir conductor said.

The Sonoma Valley Chorale in Sonoma, California, responded in a similar fashion, saying, "We will sing and we will extend an invitation to all church choirs and other community choirs in our County to join us."

"Some were moved to tears at the idea," shared a Bostonian about her presentation of the Rolling Requiem project to her choir board members.

A man in Wales asked if he could contact other Welsh choirs. "We said yes," explains Johnson. "This wonderful man paid a personal visit to the Welsh Minister of Music. They then sent invitations to join the Rolling Requiem to 200 choirs in Wales."

In Seattle, Gerard Schwarz, Music Director of the Seattle Symphony, has volunteered to conduct the Rolling Requiem choir, whose members will perform the Requiem at the Paramount Theatre. The performance space has been donated specially for the event.

A choir in Taipei will participate and has offered to help invite other Taiwanese choirs to join the Rolling Requiem.

"We want to encourage every single choir in the world to take part," says Johnson. "Additional information is available on the Rolling Requiem website, www.rollingrequiem.org, or they can send a letter." The address is:

The Rolling Requiem
227 Bellevue Way, NE, Box 459
Bellevue, WA, USA 98004

The website features a registration section, updates about the event and a template with instructions for making heart badges. "We're asking every Rolling Requiem choir to make heart-shaped badges for singers to wear, each bearing the name of a person who was lost.

With badges over their hearts and voices raised in tribute, the many people who will become the Rolling Requiem will create an affirmation of love, healing and support. Johnson observes, " In the same way that so many reached out to help immediately after the attack, humanity will come together as one voice, encircling the world, to commemorate an event that no one will ever forget."

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