Australian Music Centre | Breaking sound barriers

Work Overview

'Requiem' was commissioned by Clayton Wesley Uniting Church and premiered by The Spire Quartet on Good Friday of 2019. The inspiration for the work came from a desire to add a contemporary Australian female compositional voice to the great many sacred works that draw inspiration from the traditional Requiem texts. The work intertwines the Latin text of a Requiem with excerpts from 'The Prayer Tree' by Australian poet and cartoonist Michael Leunig, resulting in a reflective but provoking journey through rest, confession, praise and acceptance.

Work Details

Year: 2019

Instrumentation: SATB choir, organ.

Duration: 35 min.

Difficulty: Medium

Contents note: 1. Introit & Kyrie (words: Trad.) -- 2. God Rest Us (words by Leunig/Trad.) -- 3. God Help Us To Live Slowly (Leunig) -- 4. Sanctus (Trad.) -- 5. Agnus Dei (Trad./Leunig) -- 6. Love Is Born/Lux Aeterna (Leunig/Trad.) -- 7. In Paradisum (Trad.).

Dedication note: Dedicated to the community of believers and musicians at Clayton Wesley Adelaide, who believe that art is important; and to all who hear this work and are moved to take rest and breath admist their otherwise busy lives

Commission note: Commissioned by Clayton Wesley Uniting Church, Beulah Park, Adelaide

First performance: by Spire Quartet at Good Friday at Clayton Wesley (Clayton Wesley Uniting Church) on 19 Apr 2019

The composer notes the following styles, genres, influences, etc associated with this work:
Requiem Mass, Sacred Music, Music for Easter.

This work may be performed in its entirety, as individual movements, with an SATB quartet, or with SATB choir with soloists.