Résonance and FUMC Present “Durufle Requiem”: A Collaborative Journey from Virtuosic Grandeur to Sacred Solace

OMAHA, NE — [February 25, 2026] — Résonance, Omaha’s premier professional vocal ensemble, is proud to announce a landmark collaboration with the Chancel Choir of First United Methodist Church for an evening of choral and organ masterpieces. Durufle Requiem will take place on Thursday, March 19, 2026 at 7:30 PM. 

This concert serves as a dual celebration: a showcase of the sanctuary’s newly refurbished Quimby pipe organ and a journey through the lineage of French masterworks.

The evening begins with a display of French virtuosic power: Marcel Dupré’s Prelude and Fugue in B Major. As the teacher of Maurice Duruflé, Dupré’s music provides a brilliant technical prologue to the evening. Award-winning composer and organist Mark Kurtz – Director of Music Ministries at FUMC and Associate Music Director of Résonance – will use this work to push the refurbished Quimby organ to its limits, filling the sanctuary with a shimmering wall of sound that highlights the new pipework recently completed by Bedient Pipe Organ Company of Lincoln. 

At the heart of the program is Maurice Duruflé’s timeless Requiem, Op. 9 in a special performance of the intimate “organ version” featuring the voices of Résonance conducted by Principal Conductor A. Barron Breland. Duruflé’s setting emphasizes peace and solace, weaving Gregorian chant melodies into lush, impressionistic harmonies.

The refurbishing of the Quimby organ has been a multi-year journey, and what a delight it is that we are able to unveil the Bedient company’s spectacular additions in a concert with Résonance, says Mark Kurtz. From the fiery brilliance of Dupre’s B Major Prelude and Fugue to the delicate, chant-like textures of the Duruflé, this instrument can vividly express every moment of this music. It will be more than a concert; it will be a revealing of this instrument in its full capacity, and a celebration for the entire community.

The program concludes with a stirring return to a season highlight: Aaron Copland’s quintessential American anthem, “The Promise of Living.” For this finale, the Chancel Choir of FUMC (Marie Meyers, accompanist), joins forces with Résonance for an expanded arrangement featuring four-hands piano and percussion. This “symphonic” finale transforms the spiritual peace of the Requiem into a powerful, communal vision of shared labor and a golden harvest.

EVENT DETAILS:

• What: Durufle Requiem
• Who: Résonance with Chancel Choir of First United Methodist Church; Mark Kurtz, organ; A. Barron Breland, conductor
• When: Thursday, March 19, 2026 | 7:30 PM
• Where: First United Methodist Church, 7020 Cass St, Omaha, NE
• Tickets: $25–$55 | Available at resonancevoices.org/events. Students free with ID.

ARTISTS: The performance also features mezzo-soprano Jamie Luedtke, baritone Jesse Wohlman and collaborative pianist Marie Meyers.