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Published on February 23, 2008

The choir members were holding light boxes, which symbolised the candles. They stopped briefly to place the light boxes in front of the picture of HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana, installed prominently on the stage, before heading to their places behind the orchestra.

Bach's Air is one of the most beautiful melodies ever composed, stirring emotion almost to the depth of our souls. Princess Galyani should be pleased that the Air was performed for her in this concert hall, where she was a regular member in the audience over the past decade. She loved music the most.

The concert was part of a memorable and very touching programme, called "A Requiem in Memory of HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana". It was performed by the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra and the voices and the Thai Youth Choir with Hikataro Yazaki as conductor. The soprano soloists for the evening were Monique Klongtruadroke and Teeranai na Nongkai.

HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn also attended. Members of the audience wore black and white mourning. It was almost a full house, and it was also a very special concert of its kind. The programme ran through without an intermission from start to finish for slightly more than an hour. In the spirit of the requiem, there was no applause.

Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Pie Jesu" was the next piece to be performed by the two soloists, a setting of the final couplet of the "Dies Irae" from the Requiem. The English translation is: "O sweet Lord Jesus, grant them rest." Lloyd Webber is most famous for "The Phantom of the Opera".

Monique's rendition of the Bach/Gounod "Ave Maria" was sublime, though she needed a microphone to cope with the big concert hall. The choir and the orchestra accompanied her handily. Gounod put a melody over Bach's Prelude, creating a piece in the same league with Schubert's and Caccini's "Ave Marias".

"Ave Maria" or "Hail Mary" is a traditional prayer, calling for the intercession of Mary, Mother of Jesus, especially at the hour of our death.

"Lament", composed by Apisit Wongchote, a member of the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra, made its debut. For the expression of sadness, no instrument surpasses the cello. Abhichai Liemthong played with a sense of control, against a very thin orchestral background.

Narong Prangcharoen, a Thai composer now living in the US, was abruptly commissioned to write a musical piece in memory of Princess Galyani. He had only three days to finish his job. He set his mind to it and finished "Tears of Dust" in time for the Requiem concert.

Yes, even dust can weep for the loss of such a benevolent Princess. His setting had a wailing Thai tone, with a prominent part for the cello too.

The Requiem programme ended with John Rutter's seven-part "Requiem", a work of genius by the British composer.

A translation of the Latin "Lux Aeterna" passage is: "Grant them rest eternal, Lord our God, we pray thee; and light perpetual shine on them for ever."

Thanong Khanthong

The Nation