A musical homage to the dead might be a definition of a requiem, but the performances the Tabernacle Choir gave Aug. 4-5 in the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts were about life, as in bringing a new musical work into being, introducing it to the world and showing it off in all its majesty and splendor.

"A moment in history" is bound to be a phrase connected with the choir's national premiere of James DeMars' "An American Requiem," a major event commemorating the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II. The words and the music were a mixture of tenderness and power, humility and majesty. People in the audience might have forgotten most of the precise words or the musical score soon after leaving the prestigious concert hall, but few will forget the feeling of being "ear witnesses" to the Tabernacle Choir's premiere of the new work. Certainly, most will remember the enthusiastic reception they gave the choir, soloists and the composer.After the Washington, D.C. concerts, the choir traveled to New York City on Aug. 7. The singers spent part of Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 8, rehearsing for concerts in the Cathedral of St. John the Divine that evening and on Wednesday evening, Aug. 9, before returning to Salt Lake City Aug. 10.

Perhaps no better venue than the Kennedy Center in Washington could have been chosen for the premiere. The audience, though not vast, must have been every composer's dream. Entering the concert hall from the impressive Hall of Nations, where flags of many countries hang from the ceiling, were 21 ambassadors, 14 deputy chiefs of missions, two U.S. senators, four Congressmen, and people from many walks of life, ages, ethnic backgrounds and religions. The sophisticated and the provincal, the old and the young, the professional and the student were all drawn into the same stream of the musical flow that became a "once-in-a-lifetime" experience.

Tabernacle Choir director Jerold D. Ottley, who began rehearsing the choir in May for the concerts, turned over directing duties to Dr. DeMars, a professor of music at Arizona State University. An impressive line-up of talent joined the choir on stage: Simon Estes, one of the world's most renowned bass-baritones who has performed with all the major opera companies; Robert Breault, a tenor who has made about eight guest appearances with the Tabernacle Choir and whose career features more than 30 operatic roles and numerous concerts across the nation and abroad; Linda Childs, a mezzo-soprano whose solos include works of Bach, Vivaldi, Beethoven and Handel; and Audrey Lane, a soprano who has performed in several states and in Europe.

An orchestra comprised of professional musicians drawn primarily from the Arlington Symphony accompanied the choir and soloists.

Brother Ottley said parts of the requiem most likely will become standard repertoire for the Tabernacle Choir. "An American Requiem" is organized in four parts, each introduced in English and comprising lyrics primarily in Latin. Michel Sarda, founder and president of Phoenix-based Art Renaissance Foundation, which presented the concerts, explained that the new requiem is dedicated to all Americans "who have contributed their lives to build this nation, regardless of origin, race or creed."

Mr. Sarda, a native of France, said, "This musical statement symbolizes the ultimate fraternity of humankind in the perspective of time and history. It is dedicated to people of peace. It invites the American people, along with all who embrace the ideals of peace, justice and freedom, to recognize and to enjoy their diversity in an inspiring light. It belongs to Americans of all faiths."

The requiem, said its composer, "is a musical statement in which we face our human condition. We face the fact that we are mortal. Like most people, I have experienced losses that have hurt. In the requiem, we go through different phases.

"One of the first things you try to give a person who has experienced loss is kindness. You always try to provide a source of encouragement."

The requiem reflects the "weak mortal's" appeal of "Salve Me," or crying out for salvation and, finally the "Libre Me," or the letting go or accepting of God's will.

Dr. DeMars acknowledged that requiems are not part of LDS doctrine. "It's not really in my family's religious history, either," said Dr. DeMars, a Methodist. "There is a mix of religions that has gone on in my family over several generations. One of the things the requiem is about is finding ways to accept life, the human condition and God's will. I think the Mormon community is right on top of these concepts already. They see some wonderful things."

Dr. DeMars said that while requiems date back to the Middle Ages and originally were masses in the Roman Catholic Church, they have become universal, crossing religious and cultural boundaries.

"When I wrote this requiem, I was going for everybody," Dr. DeMars said. "My goal was to create a work that has tonality and melody, and something that has orchestration that is knowledgable of the avant-garde, which has given us a great deal. I wanted to create something that could be sung by a large number of choirs. It's not going to be the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing it every time. I wanted something that would show off the soloists. I didn't want to write something that could be understood by people from only one level. I just wanted to communicate."

The requiem opens with "Canticle of the Sky," a captivating song cast in the spirit of the Native American esthetic. Dr. DeMars told the Church News that this first movement projects the concept of the open sky. "Looking at the sky is something absolutely universal," he said. "Every human on earth looks at the sky, senses the sky. There are no boundaries for the sky. The clouds float from one country to another, from one people to another. It's ultimately open. I like that image. We all share the same situation. You might experience certain pains now, such as mourning the death of a loved one. Others will experience them later. It's part of life."

Perhaps the most popular part of the requiem was "Sanctus," an obvious crowd pleaser in the Kennedy Center. It exudes warmth, kindness and hope. It was written for two choruses, one singing in English in the style of a spiritual, the other singing in Latin and in a more ornate classical style. Incorporated in "Sanctus" were parts of the speech by Martin Luther King, "I Have a Dream." At the end of the second concert, the choir and guest soloists performed "Sanctus" as an encore, much to the delight of the audience. This piece, said Brother Ottley, will be sung by the choir on many occasions.

The DeMars requiem also incorporates phrases from a poem by Walt Whitman honoring the memory of Abraham Lincoln, passages from the Bible, and a Jewish memorial prayer.

Before the concerts began, Mr. Sarda asked the audiences to refrain from applauding until the end of the program. There were moments when it seemed some people were practically holding their hands to keep from clapping. When the final notes faded, members of audiences Friday and Saturday stood as if in one magnificent force and applauded enthusiastically. There was no question about it: the Tabernacle Choir, composer James DeMars and the orchestra were a big hit.

"This was a moment to be proud of," said Brother Ottley, who sat in the audience in the Kennedy Center as the composer conducted. "The choir members acquitted themselves beautifully. It was a stirring occasion."

Brother Ottley commented on the representation among the international diplomatic community who attended the concert Friday evening, Aug. 4, and added, "I realized we were touching a lot of people Saturday night as well. One of the major reasons we wanted to do this work was because we felt that at this particular time in our country we could do something to help revitalize an interest in patriotism. We feel it's a high point in our lives. Performing this requiem has special meaning because of its association with the history of our country."

Brother Ottley said there are things in the work that cause people to respond emotionaly and intellectually as well. "I think that's important because if a piece of music is purely an emotional experience, we tend to toss it off a just a little bit. But when you can intellectualize about what it means, not only for its own meaning but also for the occasion for which we're performing it, it becomes really meaningful."

One need not search long for meaning in the Tabernacle Choir's latest triumph. The concerts in the Kennedy Center were recorded for the purpose of making the choir's premiere of "An American Requiem" available on compact disk.

While in Washington, the choir performed its weekly network broadcast, "Music and the Spoken Word," in the Kennedy Center Sunday morning, Aug. 6.