From the 14th to 19th centuries, thousands of people all over Europe were sentenced to death for being in queer relationships. A Requiem For Those Who Had None commemorates these martyrs of the LGBTQ+ community, and helps to ensure they are not forgotten. The Fourth Choir dedicates this concert to telling their stories.
Among the thousands were James Pratt and John Smith, the last men to be executed in the United Kingdom because of their sexuality. James and John were arrested in Southwark so singing in their memory in the Cathedral is a particularly poignant link.
The programme centres on Victoria's stunning Requiem of 1605, composed at the time of Shakespeare, who lived in the Parish of St Saviour's where the Cathedral now stands and whose brother Edmund died in the area and is commemorated at the Cathedral.
It will also include the moving Lamentations by Dominique Phinot, a Franco-Flemish composer who was himself executed because of his sexuality in 1556 and a series of settings of text from the Song of Songs.
The Fourth Choir
The Fourth Choir is London's LGBTQ+ chamber choir for advanced singers. We focus on performing great choral works from early music to contemporary choral masterpieces. The choir was formed in September 2013, and our aim from the outset has been to represent the LGBT + community on London's world-class classical music scene.
Jamie Powe
After completing his BA degree in Music at Somerville College, Oxford, Jamie received a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music, where he achieved a distinction in his choral conducting MA. He was also awarded the Thomas Armstrong prize for outstanding choral leadership. Jamie was one of the 2018/19 Young Conducting Scholars with Sing for Pleasure and has worked with Genesis Sixteen as conducting scholar. In addition to The Fourth Choir, he is currently Musical Director of The New London Singers, Laurelin Voices, The Arcadian Singers, Putney Choral Society and The Aubrey Singers. He is also the Associate Director of Ware Choral Society and was Director of the Chapel Choir of Regent’s Park College, Oxford 2019-2021. Jamie studied composition at Oxford with Toby Young and Deborah Pritchard, achieving a first class grade for his composition portfolio. He continued his studies at The Royal Academy of Music with David Gorton and Gareth Moorcraft, alongside his choral conducting MA. His latest commission, ‘The Gun Mass’ premiered in both the US and UK in April 2023.
Sir Chris Bryant MP
Sir Chris Bryant is a former Anglican priest who has served as the Labour MP for Rhondda since 2001. He was Minister of State for Creative Industries, Arts and Tourism from 2024 to 2025. Bryant won the Stonewall Politician of the Year Award in 2011 for his work to support equality LGBTQ+ people. He is the author of James and John: A True Story of Prejudice and Murder, published in 2024: an award-winning narrative of the lives of James Pratt and John Smith, who are commemorated in this concert.
Southwark Cathedral
Southwark Cathedral is an Anglican Cathedral on the south bank of the River Thames. It was designated a Cathedral in 1905, having been founded as the collegiate parish church of St Saviour. Southwark describes their vision as ‘Making Space for Love: with heart, mind, and soul’, expressed through reverential worship, a generous hospitality and celebration of the dignity of all people, a commitment to social justice, and a programme of learning events to deepen both knowledge and faith.
