November 2, 2025. Washington, District of Columbia.
Our search for the performing arts brought us to the National Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C. The performance, a unique encounter with the Yizkor Requiem, was delivered superbly by the New Dominion Chorale. The price? Free! It was a gift from the New Dominion Chorale as they embarked on their 35th season.
The National Presbyterian Church traces its roots to 1795, ministering to everyone from the Scottish stonemasons building the White House to numerous U.S. Presidents, reflecting a deep, continuous connection to the nation’s history. The current building, dedicated in 1969, is a grand example of Modernist Neo-Gothic architecture featuring a towering carillon, a sanctuary ceiling symbolizing Noah’s Ark, and the Chapel of the Presidents. Its magnificent array of 73 faceted stained-glass windows, including the south transept’s depiction of historical figures and astronauts, emphasizes its dual identity as both a spiritual refuge and a national center for Presbyterianism.
The New Dominion Chorale (NDC) is a prominent, non-audition, community-based “singers’ cooperative” founded in 1991 in McLean, Virginia, whose operations are entirely managed by its dedicated members. Despite its open enrollment, the 130-voice chorale is highly regarded in the Washington area for performing challenging classical masterworks with professional orchestras and soloists, earning critical praise for its powerful and polished sound. NDC is particularly known for premiering and frequently performing the acclaimed “Yizkor Requiem” by its Artistic Director, Thomas Beveridge, a unique work blending Jewish and Christian memorial traditions. Their performance history is quite extensive, covering works from Bach and Handel to Broadway musicals.
A Requiem (from the Latin for “rest”) is traditionally a Catholic Mass for the dead, a liturgical service whose musical settings, like those by Mozart or Verdi, became a powerful genre of dramatic concert works focused on eternal rest and prayers for the departed soul.
“Yizkor Requiem: A Quest for Spiritual Roots” is a unique, acclaimed ecumenical cantata that blends and interweaves elements from the Latin Requiem Mass with the Jewish Yizkor (memorial) service and the Kaddish prayer. Composed as a tribute to his father, the work features a Cantor alongside the traditional chorus and soloists, beautifully illustrating the common ground and shared spiritual themes between the two traditions in a single musical masterpiece.
We felt privileged to experience this masterful work, directed by its composer, Thomas Beveridge. He is an American composer, conductor, singer, and teacher who has had a multifaceted musical career. He studied composition at Harvard with Randall Thompson and Walter Piston, and also with Nadia Boulanger in Paris. He is the founder and Artistic Director of the New Dominion Chorale, and while he has composed over 600 works and arrangements, the Yizkor Requiem remains his most renowned composition.
The soaring voices of the singers, the profound harmonies of the requiem, and the sanctity of the church inwardly lifted us. The music aroused a deep reflection on life, loss, and a powerful contemplation of our own existence. With the final, echoing notes and the composer’s closing remarks, we were left with a renewed sense of peace and a heightened appreciation for the fleeting, precious gift of life itself.
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