Eliza Gilkyson's Requiem

[YouOverThere]

Denver's best amateur chorus finished this weekend's concert with a choral arrangement of a folk song titled Requiem by a singer named Eliza Gilkyson. The song was written after the 2004 Asian tsunami. Despite its simplicity, it was so moving that no one in the audience thought it appropriate to do something joyful, such as applauding. I'm sure that others have had similar experiences, but it was the first time that I've ever experienced something like that.

[carbro]

I have attended performances where something so profound was shared that applause would somehow defile it. But of course, someone generally feels obliged to break the spell.

I seem to remember that Balanchine's Adagio Lamentoso had us leaving the theater in silence, probably due to an announcement before the performance. Can anyone else remember exactly?

[dirac]

Thank you for telling us about it, YouOverThere. I haven't had that experience in a theatre myself, although I have witnessed performances where the applause, while solid, had a subdued, 'respectful' tone.