Britten wrote his War Requiem to mark the consecration of Coventry's new cathedral, built among the ruins of the old 14th century cathedral, which was destroyed in the devastating air raids on Coventry during WW2.
The War Requiem was inspired by, and combines the words from, the Latin Requiem Mass and English war poetry by Wilfred Owen, who died in combat in 1918.
Its premiere took place in 1962. You can also hear this stirring work at the 2024 BBC Proms. The London Symphony Chorus, London Symphony Orchestra and others will perform it, conducted by Sir Antonio Pappano, for Prom 37 (Sat 17 August).
We named Britten one of the greatest English composers ever
What are the lyrics to Britten's War Requiem
I Requiem aeternam
Chorus Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine; et lux perpetua luceat eis.
Boys Te decet hymnus, Deus in Sion: et tibi reddetur votum in Jerusalem; exaudi orationem meam, ad te omnis caro veniet.
Chorus Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine; et lux perpetua luceat eis.
Tenor What passing bells for these who die as cattle? Only the monstrous anger of the guns. Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle Can patter out their hasty orisons No mockeries for them from prayers or bells, Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs, -- The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells; And bugles calling for them from sad shires. What candles may be held to speed them at all? Not in the hands of boys, but in their eyes Shall shine the holy glimmers of good-byes. The pallor of girls' brows shall be their pall; Their flowers the tenderness of silent minds, And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds.
Chorus Kyrie eleison Christe eleison Kyrie eleison
II Dies irae
Chorus Dies irae, dies illa, Solvet saeclum in favilla: Teste David cum Sibylla. Quantus tremor est futurus, Quando Judex est venturus, Cuncta stricte discussurus! Tuba mirum spargens sonum Per sepulchra regionum Coget omnes ante thronum. Mors stupebit et natura, Cum resurget creatura, Judicanti responsura.
Baritone Bugles sang, saddening the evening air; And bugles answered, sorrowful to hear. Voices of boys were by the river-side. Sleep mothered them; and left the twilight sad. The shadow of the morrow weighed on men. Voices of old despondency resigned, Bowed by the shadow of the morrow, slept.
Soprano Liber scriptus proferetur, In quo totum continetur, Unde mundus judicetur. Judex ergo cum sedebit Quidquid latet, apparebut: Nil inultum remanebit.
Chorus Quid sum miser tunc dicturus? Quem patronem rogaturus, Cum vix justus sit securus?
Soprano and Chorus Rex tremendae majestatis, Qui salvandos salvas gratis, Salva me, fons pietatis.
Tenor and Baritone Out there, we've walked quite friendly up to Death: Sat down and eaten with him, cool and bland,- Pardoned his spilling mess-tins in our hand. We've sniffed the green thick odour of his breath,- Our eyes wept, but our courage didn't writhe. He's spat at us with bullets and he's coughed Shrapnel. We chorused when he sang aloft; We whistled while he shaved us with his scythe. Oh, Death was never enemy of ours! We laughed at him, we leagued with him, old chum. No soldier's paid to kick against his powers. We laughed, knowing that better men would come, And greater wars; when each proud fighter brags He wars on Death - for Life; not men – for flags.
Chorus Recordare Jesu pie, Quod sum causa tuae viae: Ne me perdas illa die. Quarens me, sedisti lassus: Redemisti crucem passus: Tantus labor non sit cassus: Ingemisco, tamquam reus: Culpa rubet vultus meus: Supplicanti parce Deus. Qui Mariam absolvisti, Et latronem exaudisti, Mihi quoque spem dedisti. Inter oves locum praesta, Et ab haedis me sequestra, Statuens in parte dextra. Confutatis maledictis, Flammis acribus addictis, Voca me cum benedictis. Oro supplex et acclinis Cor contritum quasi cinis Gere curam mei finis.
Baritone Be slowly lifted up, thou long black arm, Great gun towering toward Heaven, about to curse; Reach at that arrogance which needs thy harm, And beat it down before its sins grow worse; But when thy spell be cast complete and whole, May God curse thee, and cut thee from our soul!
Chorus Dies irae, dies illa, Solvet saeclum in favilla: Teste David cum Sibylla. Quantus tremor est futurus, Quando Judex est venturus, Cuncta stricte discussurus!
Soprano and Chorus Lacrimosa dies illa, Qua resurget ex favilla, Judicandus homo reus: Huic ergo parce Deus.
Tenor Move him into the sun - Gently its touch awoke him once, At home, whispering of fields unsown. Always it woke him, even in France, Until this morning and this snow. If anything might rouse him now The kind old sun will know.
Soprano and Chorus Lacrimosa dies illa...
Tenor Think how it wakes the seeds – Woke, once, the clays of a cold star. Are limbs, so dear-acheived, are sides, Full-nerved – still warm – too hard to stir? Was it for this the clay grew tall?
Soprano and Chorus ...Qua resurget ex favilla...
Tenor Was it for this the clay grew tall?
Soprano and Chorus ...Judicandus homo reus.
Tenor – O what made fatuous sunbeams toil To break earth's sleep at all?
Chorus Pie Jesu Domine, dona eis requiem. Amen.
III Offertorium
Boys Domine Jesu Christe, Rex gloriae, libera animas omnium fidelium defunctorum de poenis inferni, et de profundo lacu: libera eas de ore leonis, ne absorbeat eas tartarus, ne cadant in obscurum.
Chorus Sed signifer sanctus Michael repraesentet eas in lucem sanctam: Quam olim Abrahae promisisti, et semini ejus.
Tenor and Baritone So Abram rose, and clave the wood, and went, And took the fire with him, and a knife. And as they sojourned both of them together, Isaac the first-born spake and said, My Father, Behold the preparations, fire and iron, But where the lamb for this burnt-offering? Then Abram bound the youth with belts and straps, And builded parapets and trenched there, And streched forth the knife to slay his son. When lo! and angel called him out of heaven, Saying, Lay not thy hand upon the lad, Neither do anything to him. Behold, A ram, caught in a thicket by its horns; Offer the Ram of Pride instead of him. But the old man would not so, but slew his son, – And half the seed of Europe, one by one.
Boys Hostias et preced tibi Domine laudis offerimus; tu suscipe pro animabus illis, quarum hodie memoriam facimus: fac eas, Domine, de morte transire ad vitam. Quam olim Abrahae promisisti en semini ejus.
Chorus ...Quam olim Abrahae promisisti et semini ejus.
IV Sanctus
Soprano and Chorus Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus Dominus Deus Saboath. Pleni sunt ceoli et terra gloria tua, Hosanna in excelsis. Sanctus. Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini. Hosanna in excelsis. Sanctus.
Baritone After the blast of lighning from the East, The flourish of loud clouds, the Chariot Throne; After the drums of time have rolled and ceased, And by the bronze west long retreat is blown, Shall life renew these bodies? Of a truth All death will He annul, all tears assuage? – Fill the void veins of Life again with youth, And wash, with an immortal water, Age? When I do ask white Age he saith not so: 'My head hangs weighed with snow'. And when I hearken to the Earth, she saith: 'My fiery heart shrinks, aching. It is death. Mine ancient scars shalls not be glorified, Nor my titanic tears, the sea, be dried.'
V Agnus Dei
Tenor One ever hangs where shelled roads part. In this war He too lost a limb, But His disciples hide apart; And now the Soldiers bear with Him.
Chorus Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, dona eis requiem.
Tenor Near Golgatha strolls many a priest, And in their faces there is pride That they were flesh-marked by the Beast By whom the gentle Christ's denied.
Chorus Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, dona eis requiem.
Tenor The scribes on all the people shove and bawl allegiance to the state,
Chorus Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi...
Tenor But they who love the greater love Lay down their life; they do not hate.
Chorus ...Dona eis requiem.
Tenor Dona nobis pacem.
VI Libera me
Chorus Libera me, Domine, de morte aeterna, in die illa tremenda: Quando coeli movendi sunt et terra: Dum veneris judicare saeculum per ignem.
Soprano and Chorus Tremens factus sum ego, et timeo dum discussio venerit, atque ventura ira. Libera me, Domine, de morte aeterna. Quando coeli movendi sunt i terra. Dies illa, dies irae, calamitatis et miseriae, dies magna et amara valde. Libera me, Domine.
Tenor It seems that out of battle I escaped Down some profound dull tunnel, long since scooped Through granites which titanic wars had groined. Yet also there encumbered sleepers groaned, Too fast in thought or death to be bestirred. Then, as I probed them, one sprang up, and stared With piteous recognition in fixed eyes, Lifting distressful hands as if to bless. And no guns thumped, or down the flues made moan. 'Strange friend,' I said, 'here is no cause to mourn.'
Baritone 'None', said the other, 'save the undone years, The hopelessness. Whatever hope is yours, Was my life also; I went hunting wild After the wildest beauty in the world, For by my glee might many men have laughed, And of my weeping something had been left, Which must die now. I mean the truth untold, The pity of war, the pity war distilled. Now men will go content with what we spoiled. Or, discontent, boil boldly, and be spilled. They will be swift with swiftness of the tigress, None will break ranks, though nations trek from progress. Miss we the march of this retreating world Into vain citadels that are not walled. Then, when much blood had clogged their chariot-wheels I would go up and wash them from sweet wells, Even from wells we sunk too deep for war, Even from the sweetest wells that ever were. I am the enemy you killed, my friend. I knew you in this dark; for so you frowned Yesterday through me as you jabbed and killed. I parried; but my hands were loath and cold. Let us sleep now...'
Boys, then Chorus, then Soprano In paridisum deducant te Angeli; in tuo adventu suscipiant te Martyres, et perducant te in civitatem sanctam Jerusalem. Chorus Angelorum te suscipiat, et cum Lazaro quondam paupere aeternam habeas requiem.
Boys Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine: et lux perpetua luceat eis.
Chorus In paradisum deducant etc.
Soprano Chorus Angeloru, te suscipiat etc.
Tenor and Baritone Let us sleep now.
Chorus Requiescant in pace. Amen.