for mixed voices (SATB with divisi) & piano
Text: Latin (Roman Missal, Missæ Defunctorum (Mass of the Dead))
Duration: 4'00''
Difficulty: 2/5


Composer's note
A setting of the Latin text from the Roman Missal, Requiem is the opening movement of a larger work entitled Songs of Peace, which was written in 2012 in memory of my mother Iris Todd. The text is obviously very powerful and personal in different ways to different people, and it should therefore be a leading element in the performance of this piece. True piano singing should help create a better contrast with the louder sections and help with the dynamic shape in general, of which there is plenty to observe. A gentle rubato can also be applied in places to really enjoy the harmonies and bring across the meaning of the text.


Other movements from Songs of Peace available separately include Precious Moment (SA & piano/organ) and Ave verum (two-part chorus & piano). Complete vocal scores of Songs of Peace are available from Boosey & Hawkes. Bass and drum parts for Songs of Peace are also available for download.


First performance: 27 May 2012 at Little St Mary’s Church, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, England, by the Fairhaven Singers, conducted by Ralph Woodward.


Text
Requiem æternam dona eis, Domine: et lux perpetua luceat eis.


Grant them eternal rest, O Lord: and let perpetual light shine upon them.


from The Roman Missal
Missæ Defunctorum (Mass of the Dead)


Will Todd
Will Todd is a UK-based performer and composer whose music spans a variety of styles and genres. Best known for his choral works, his 2003 jazz mass setting Mass in Blue has been performed more than eighty times since its premiere by choirs in the UK, Europe and the USA. Other notable works for choir range from large scale oratorios such as Saint Cuthbert (recorded by the Hallé Orchestra in 2002) to the anthem Stay with Me Lord, commissioned for The Sixteen. He has worked on operas and stageworks for OperaGenesis at the Royal Opera House and the National Opera Studio, and his 2009 Jazz Concerto for Clarinet, written for Emma Johnson, has been performed in the UK, USA and Finland. As a performer, Will Todd leads his own Will Todd Trio from the piano and was recently an invited guest artist at the Lincoln Center in New York.