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Image source, Coventry UK City of Culture 2021
Image caption,Artworks will be projected onto the walls of the cathedral during the performance's premiere
A new war requiem to mark the 60th anniversary of Coventry Cathedral will be a "unique" celebration, its composer said.
The piece is having its world premiere on Thursday and musician Nitin Sawhney composed it for 2021 City of Culture.
Ghosts in the Ruins will be performed in both the new cathedral and the ruins of the old cathedral.
"I think people will be really stunned and I feel that they will really regret it if they do not go," Mr Sawhney said.
The composition will follow in the footsteps of Benjamin Britten's War Requiem which was commissioned to mark the cathedral's consecration in 1962.
Requiem composer Nitin Sawhney said the piece will explore ideas of peace and reconciliation
The new Coventry Cathedral was built alongside the ruins of the previous building which was mostly demolished by German bombs in 1940.
After beginning in the modern site, with performances by violinist Eos Counsell and the Coventry Cathedral choristers, the audience will be invited to the ruins where professional musicians and choirs will be joined by community singers.
As well as music, five local poets have created words for the new piece of work to reflect the city's past, present and future.
Hawwa Hussain is one of them and said she has written the future poem, drawing on her own experiences, which she will perform herself.
"It is obviously a bit nerve-wracking but what is really helpful is I will not be alone, I will have all the other poets so that is making me less nervous," she said.
Image source, Joseph Witcombe
Image caption,The requiem will begin inside the modern cathedral before moving to the ruins next door
Ghosts will explore ideas of peace and reconciliation and reflect Coventry as a city of sanctuary, Mr Sawhney said.
"It is a really exciting, unique way to celebrate not only the cathedral but also Coventry itself," he added.
"The new building is stunning and then you go to the ruins which are just epic and the back drop is just going to feel so cinematic."
Art works by Mark Murphy will also be projected onto the walls inside the cathedral.
Following its premiere on Thursday, the requiem will be performed on Friday and Saturday.
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