Get to Know Requiem Soloist Jennifer Sylvester

This coming Sunday, November 3, we will have a concert performance of Requiem, Op. 48 by Gabriel Fauré at 4pm in the Church and on YouTube. It will be offered by St. John’s choir and the Artaria String Quartet, featuring soloists Jennifer Sylvester, soprano and Phill Takemura Sears, baritone.

Jennifer is also one of our staff singers and soprano section leaders. Read on to get to know her a little better and find out what the upcoming concert means to her.

When and what was your first experience with the Faure Requiem like? Although I have sung the solo Pie Jesu many times, surprisingly, I had never sung the Fauré Requiem except as the soprano soloist with one exception;  During the pandemic, I sang the soprano choir part by myself for a performance at St Agnes Catholic Church in which there was one voice part on each choral part along with the soloists.

What do you love most about the piece? Well, I love French music and I love the feel of French music in combination with a traditional Latin requiem mass. Specifically I love singing the soprano aria, Pie Jesu.  This aria is near and dear to my heart. In January of 2020 my voice was paralyzed. After 3 months of not knowing if I would ever sing again, my voice started to come back. On Good Friday I sang Pie Jesu, which was the first thing I sang after this incident.  I also love the text of Pie Jesu and feel Fauré does such a wonderful job of marrying the text with music that conveys eternal rest and peace. 

What are you most looking forward to in the upcoming concert? I am looking forward to singing beautiful music with people I care about! It is so wonderful to sing with people who both love music and foster a sense of community and acceptance. I have been so grateful for this choir and the support I have received during a very difficult time in my life.

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