An American Requiem is a choral work by composer James DeMars.Trey Graham, "The Washington Post," August 5, 1995. Following the

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subsequent to the

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trial, Dr. James DeMars, a professor of Music Composition at

Arizona State University Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public university, public research university in Tempe, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 as Territorial Normal School by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, the university is o ...

, was commissioned by the Art Renaissance Foundation to write a large memorial work that would contribute to bringing the American community together. The 75-minute choral work, entitled ''An American Requiem'', was composed slowly over a full year, calling for modest musical forces: a 42-member symphony orchestra, a choir of at least 100 voices and the four vocal soloists: soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor and bass. The Foundation dedicated the requiem to "all Americans who dedicated their lives to building this great nation." A first performance took place on November 22, 1993 at Saint Mary Basilica in

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commemorating the 30th anniversary of the assassination of President

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), also known as JFK, was the 35th president of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. He was the first Roman Catholic and youngest person elected p ...

. During the piece’s composition, it received a “dedication” from President

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, in a letter dated September 16, 1993. The work’s official premiere was held on MLK Day at Symphony Hall in Phoenix on January 14, 1994. In 2002, ''An American Requiem'' returned to Phoenix Symphony Hall for the first anniversary of the

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, with the participation of the full

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, four community choirs and mezzo-soprano Isola Jones and tenor

Robert Breault Robert Breault (born 1963) is an American operatic tenor. Born in Michigan, he holds a B.M. degree (magna cum laude) from St. Norbert College (1985) from which he received a distinguished alumni award in 1997. In addition, he holds a M.M. (198 ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:American Requiem, An Requiems 1993 compositions