About

CONSPIRARE PRESENTS

TIMELESS COMFORT, MODERN WITNESS

MAY 22 | 8:00 P.M. | BATES RECITAL HALL

Brahms composed A German Requiem for the living — wrapping grief in comfort, hope, and the enduring human spirit. Conspirare pairs this timeless masterwork with Joel Thompson’s Seven Last Words of the Unarmed.  Thompson asks us to hold the names and final words of Black men killed by authorities in a spirit of remembrance and renewed compassion. These two extraordinary works reach across 150 years to meet us exactly where we are, inviting us to feel  the weight of this moment and find in music the courage to carry one another through it.

Together, these intensely personal pieces create a sacred space for reflection, healing, and the transformative power of music to speak what words alone cannot express. Performed by the Conspirare Symphonic Choir.

Program:

Seven Last Words of the Unarmed (2015)
Joel Thompson (b. 1988

Ein Deutsches Requiem, Op. 45 (A German Requiem) (1868)
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
with soloists Chelsea Helm, soprano, and Tim O’Brien, bass

About the Music

Seven Last Words of the Unarmed  A meditation on the lives of seven Black men and an effort to focus on their humanity, experience Joel Thompson’s powerful music in this version for voices, string quartet, and piano. Read Seven Last Words of the Unarmed Composer Note and Learn more.

Ein Deutsches Requiem, Op. 45 (A German Requiem)

“As for the title, I must admit I should like to leave out the word ‘German’ and refer instead to ‘Humanity.'”
– Johannes Brahms

Classical Requiems: Brahms’s “Human” Requiem via the Houston Symphony

Artistic Personnel

Craig Hella Johnson, conductor

Conspirare Symphonic Choir

Violin I: Patrice Calixte, Concertmaster, Megan Zapfe, Johyun Min and Luis Cuevas

Violin II: Mariama Alcantara, Principal, Caleb Polashek, Abigail Bellorin, and Andrés Carrero

Viola: Bruce Williams, Principal, Ames Asbell, and Martha Carapetyan

Cello:  Doug Harvey, Principal, and  Anna Park

Doulbe Bass: Jonathan Rouse, Principal and Chris Flores

Flute: Adah Toland Jones

Oboe: Ian Davidson

Clarinet: Vanguel Tangarov

Bassoon: Kristin Wolfe Jensen

French Horn: Pat Hughes

Timpani: Tom Burritt

Harp: Elaine Barber

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Event Details

• Date: Friday, May 22, 2026
• Time: 8:00 P.M.
• Venue: Bates Recital Hall
• Website: https://my.thelongcenter.org/4135/4150

Ticket Information

• Cost: $20.00 - $76.70

Presenter Details

• Name: Conspirare

Conspirare is a GRAMMY^®-winning choir and nonprofit performing arts and music education organization that believes in the power of music to change lives, inspire peace, and foster belonging. Conspirare was established in 1991 in Austin, Texas, by Craig Hella Johnson and a band of dedicated supporters.

Venue Details