Fanny Hensel’s Lobgesang and Maurice Duruflé’s Requiem are the selections for this concert, which, when taken together, form a powerful arc—from praise to peace, from the exultation of life to the quiet mystery of death. Hensel wrote her beautiful, pastoral piece as a response to the birth of her first child, and the piece celebrates appropriately. In contrast, Duruflé’s Requiem offers a tender farewell to his father with a work of serenity. Based on Gregorian chant and full of lush harmonies, the work gently ushers the spirit toward eternal peace. Together, these works trace a sacred journey from the joyful song of life to the quiet stillness of death.