About the Piece

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Written for and premiered by the Denver Pro Chorale under the direction of Dr. Michael J. Kornelsen. Dedicated to Cherise Leiter and the Denver Pro Chorale. Premiered on April 17th, 2015 at the Church of the Ascension in Denver, CO.

The Story

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After a successful premiere of my piece, "Sanctus" by the Denver Pro Chorale, Dr. Kornelson made a joke: "So when are we going to perform your entire Requiem?" This set me off over the next 8 months, furiously writing the largest and most complex work I had ever crafted at that time, "Requiem."

 

The Agnus Dei serves as the first movement of the third section of my Requiem, titled "The Perpetual." It's here that the souls of the departed have finally been won over by the presence of God (in the movement  "Sanctus"), and Jesus is calling them into the gates of heaven. The soloist is written for a low-alto, but because of this range the solo can also be sung by a high-tenor. Written in a simple ABA' form, this work features the soloist while also offering a moment of choral focus, creating a soft and intimate setting of the "Agnus Dei" text. 

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Listen:

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See the Score:

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Text:

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Latin

Catholic Mass ("Lamb of God" litany)

 

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, dona eis requiem.

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, dona eis requiem.

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, dona eis requiem sempiternam.

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Order the Music: