As the local arts scene continues to emerge from "hibernation" as Covid-19 restrictions continue to ease, members of Fermanagh Choral Society are looking forward to their upcoming performance on Palm Sunday.

Fermanagh Choral Society was one of very few choirs in Northern Ireland to continue rehearsing throughout the pandemic, with members getting to grips with the vagaries of Zoom calls and microphone settings.

The choir posted a number of online performances through 2020 into 2021 and finally managed their first live performance in two years when they presented a Christmas Concert in St. Macartin’s Cathedral last December.

Things have gone from strength to strength since then and the choral society are ready, once again, to welcome a live audience as they perform 'A Requiem for All' on Palm Sunday, April 10, in St. Michael’s Church at 7.30pm.

The Society’s Musical Director, David Robertson, explained: “The choir committee felt that our first full concert with orchestra in well over two years should be both accessible and uplifting.

"Accessible in that we want to give as many people as possible the chance to rediscover the power and beauty of Classical music after this period of enforced absence, and uplifting as we all need some inspiration after such a turbulent few years - a sentiment that also seems especially fitting giving current world events.

"So I felt a selection of well-known movements from famous sacred works would be a perfect fit. I also made sure to choose movements that followed the contours of a traditional Requiem, but with an emphasis on comfort and hope.”

'The Requiem for All' contains movements from Requiems by Mozart, Fauré, Rutter and Karl Jenkins, as well as movements from sacred works by Bach, Handel and John Stainer. Their sequencing closely follows that of a traditional Requiem Mass, though with some minor additions.

There were a few movements, such as 'I know that my redeemer liveth' from Handel’s Messiah and Stainer’s 'God so loved the World' that David says he "just couldn’t leave out".

"They fit perfectly with the themes of sacrifice, love, hope and renewal,” he added.

In light of the current conflict in Ukraine and the unfolding humanitarian disaster that is occurring there, Fermanagh Choral Society will be making a donation from concert proceeds towards the UNHCR Ukraine Emergency Appeal.