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Animal Requiem is an album to celebrate and honour all animals from composer Rachel Fuller.

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Animal Requiem

CONCERT – ROYCE HALL UCLA – OCTOBER 26TH

Jet lag and I do not get on so well together – I’m sorry for the delay in posting this – I’ve been binge watching Orange is the new Black whilst I normalise.


The last week in LA was nuts! We did a triple header – a Who show at the Hollywood Bowl on the Thursday, a big fundraiser for Teen Cancer America on the Friday and the Animal Requiem concert on the Saturday (flew back to Blighty Sunday).


The concert was magical – and the magic came from the people – the orchestra, the choir, the conductor, the soloists, Pete, Jane, the audience and a tiny bit my outfit. There was an area in the foyer where memorial boards were placed and many people bought photos of their beloved pets to pin, but there was also a screen which had photos and videos people had sent in – and some chairs, where many people sat and watched. It was very moving – and I couldn’t spend too much time there before the show as it made me so emotional. 

I’m not great at social media – but I knew that a fair number of Instagram followers were in the audience – and I felt I had friends there. 
Jane Lynch is my new favourite human being on the planet. I LOVE her. From a place of love Jane agreed to speak at the concert – she and her partner Jennifer are both passionate animal lovers. In the first half of the concert Jane read poems to accompany Carnival of the Animals by Saint-Saens. Some of the orchestra wore animal ears and the bass players had elephant trunks on their instruments (not real ones obv).


Then the Requiem was performed. It’s probably the first time I have listened and felt like an audience member instead of a composer. And I have to say that it really is beautiful. I don’t say that from a place of ego  – I believe that I connect to a larger source when I write -I’m a sort of channel – that sounds grand and a bit hippy (no offence to hippies) – but thats my truth. But every single person who collaborated with me on the project brought their own magic – Martin Batchelar, the arranger (he IS a genius) – Jolyon Dixon who played guitar on Blackbird, Pete of course – the wonderful conductor Michael Nowak – Jane, and the orchestra and choir were amazing – the tenor soloist  Bruce Sledge and the soprano soloist Caroline McKenzie were extraordinary. Everyone at the UCLA was also amazing. They do what they do with passion and care and everything ran unbelievably smoothly!  Genuinely every single person and their skill and energy was magical. And the result was the concert. I was honoured and humbled to have been a part of it. 

The audience members I spoke to afterwards seemed deeply moved – that’s really my only hope. I want people all over the world to put on their own Requiem concerts and invite local people to attend and celebrate and remember our wonderful animals and the love they bring into our lives. 


Here is a selection of pics from the night – taken by the wonderful William Snyder.
Lots of things on the brew here – ill keep you all posted – thank you for your support and encouragement – as always –
Rachel xxx

Comments: 9

  • Heather Pazmino
    November 1, 2019 9:54 pm

    Hi Rachel,
    I’m so glad to read your recollections of the event and that it turned out so well (as I was sure it would)
    I hope Animal Requiem is performed in San Francisco sometime- St . Francis is our namesake of course
    Enjoy your time being back home with your babies (Pete included) xoxo

  • Lyndagraceismee
    November 1, 2019 10:24 pm

    Its hard to believe your LA whirlwind is over. I appreciate you sharing your adventures there.
    I am brought up with emotion just reading about the magical loving evening of Animal Requiem. I’m certain if I was in attendance I would have had tears, of love and heartfelt warmth. I was, of course, there in spirit that night, remiss I could not have been there.
    These photos are really lovely, and a special reminder of the magic you created Rachel. (Oh, must not forget your outfit and shoes!🥰).
    much love x

  • Andy @ Livewire
    November 1, 2019 10:42 pm

    You know I’ve followed your journey with animal requiem, not because your married to Pete, who we love dearly, but your energy and love for animals, I honestly judge people by their relationship with animals, I really can’t help it, I probably shouldn’t but I do, soon as someone says ‘oo I don’t like animals, dogs or whatever’ I immediately lose interest in them 😂 I try not to be rude but we just love 💕 them, I’ve blocked a country lane because a baby rabbit was sat in the road, tractors beeping and pissed off farm hands 🙂 but we got the rabbit wrapped him up, apologised to the people behind and took him home 🙂 Anyone who loves animals the way you love em gets our vote, we’ll done and thank you for what you do on behalf of them 🙂 x

  • Teddi Lynn Chichester
    November 1, 2019 11:54 pm

    Hello Rachel: Maybe a pic of Jolyon? He was wonderful— And please ask him to check his Instagram messages! Thank you for the love and beauty you shared at Royce. You’re too brilliant.— 💗-Teddi (I teach English at UCLA and was beyond thrilled to have you and my lifelong hero/crush Pete on campus)

  • Lisa Seckler-Roode
    November 2, 2019 12:11 am

    so happy for you.truly. this genre was ALWAYS overlooked.people had to suffer in silence dealing with the pain of a lost pet; non-pet owners just-don’t -get-it. I would love to put requiem on sponsored by my arts council.any possibility?
    as always,big love to you.

  • Tomoko (aka blue) Mitsumoto
    November 2, 2019 2:56 am

    Hi Rachel!
    Good to hear your concert was so AMAZING.
    Thans for many wonderful pics. I wish I was there.
    Hope you keep going.
    Take care.xx

  • Kenny Freed
    November 2, 2019 6:17 pm

    Congratulations on having a successful concert.

  • Lauren J. Hammer
    November 3, 2019 5:51 am

    It was a thoroughly wonderful experience. I went in to Royce Hall, expecting to like it. I walked out of Royce Hall, having loved it. All of the many different bits of it. What a delightful surprise. Kudos to you and to all who made it happen. And thanks for creating a joyful AND sacred space for those of us who so deeply love our four-legged friends. I didn’t get it together to send in a video, but it was meaningful to me to hang pics of Yoda and Sparks and Becky (+ my friends’ recently departed dog, Moonie), up on the “board.”

    P.S. Please don’t think that because some of us are such huge fans of Pete and his music, that we weren’t really there for you and YOUR music.

  • Lance Robert Burns
    November 4, 2019 8:40 am

    Great achievement Rachel!

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