Reflections
on
Chilcott’s Requiem
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Reflections
on
Chilcott’s Requiem
by
Members of the Chancel Choir
Reflections
on
Chilcott’s Requiem by Members of the Chancel Choir
Requiem Bob Chilcott
Robert “Bob” Chilcott, born in 1955, is a British choral composer, conductor, and singer. He sang in the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, both as a boy and as a university student. In 1985 he joined the King’s Singers, singing tenor for 12 years. Chilcott began composing in 1997, and has had remarkable success since that time.
TheRequiem was premiered on March 13, 2010, at the Sheldonian in Oxford, England, by the Oxford Bach Choir and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. It was first performed in the United States at Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church, Dallas, Texas.
Requiem is dedicated to Chilcott’s niece, who died at age 23, while he was composing the piece. It is beautifully reflective, and at the same time is given focus and direction by the composer’s keen sense of melody and innate feeling for rhythm, be it in the lyrical, rolling tenor solo in the Angus Dei, or the crystal simplicity of the Pie Jesu; the gently pulsing first few bars of the Introit, or the driving irregular beats of the Sanctus. The work’s components develop at different paces—it is hard to put a finger on one particular moment of arrival. The Sanctus, with its dance-like patterns, provides the dynamic peak of Requiem; the Pie Jesu perhaps offers the emotional center of the work; and Thou Knowest, Lord presents a central point for the text. This combination of differently paced pulses ultimately carries the listener gently through Requiem, continuously moving forward while at the same time maintaining a comforting sense of reflection and stillness. Chilcott has a long-standing association with the New Orleans Children’s Chorus and the Crescent City Festival in New Orleans, for which he has created numerous pieces. He originally wrote his This Day, a setting of five poems, for a 2006 choral festival in New Orleans which was cancelled after Hurricane Katrina. The work was ultimately premiered on June 25, 2007, at St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans, by 210 singers from around the United States. Chilcott served as the conductor of the chorus at the Royal College of Music London, Principal Guest ConductorReflections of the BBC Singers, and the conductor of the Birmingham University Singers. Requiem is in seven movements, following the sequence of the Requiem Mass, (1) Introit andon Kyrie , (2) Offertorio, (3) Pie Jesu, (4) Sanctus, (5) Angus Dei, (6) Thou Knowest, Lord, and (7) Lux Aeterna. All but Movement 6 are from the Missa proChilcott’s defunctus, and are sung in RequiemLatin. Translations are the composer’s. Movement 6 is from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, and is partially based on Psalm 44 and hints at Psalm 139 and the Book of Job. The Requiem is scored for a small ensemble or full orchestra, as you will hear this morning. by The Chancel Choir has been preparing this work since late summer. I am immensely grateful to the choir for theirMembers dedication and commitment of tothe offer this Chancelwork in worship today. ChoirThe theological reflections you will find in this booklet were written by seven members of the Chancel Choir. We pray these reflections will add depth and insights to your worship experience on this All Saints’ Sunday.
Soli Deo Gloria,
David A. VanderMeer Minister of Music and Fine Arts
Introit and Kyrie Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine, Grant them eternal rest, O Lord, et lux perpetua luceat eis. and light perpetual shine on them. Te decet hymnus, Deus, in Sion, Thou art praised in Sion, O God, et tibi reddetur votum in Jerusalem. and homage shall be paid to thee in Jerusalem.
Exaudi orationem meam. Hear my prayer. Ad te omnis caro veniet. All flesh shall come before thee. Kyrie eleison. Christe eleison. Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy.
A Collect for All Saints’ Day
God of all grace, Hear our prayers, as we remember All called to eternal glory. And bless, everlastingly, The souls at rest in your care. For as in Adam, all die, Even so in Christ shall we be made alive. We are flowers, and we fade. We are grass, grown dry. All flesh comes before you; We are gathered in, The last of the late harvest,
Bared in our love, our sin. For this gleaning, let there be no grief, No mourning for the fallen leaf, Or for the reaping of our bodies Reflections Soon asleep in silent rooms. on Blessed are the dead Who die in the Lord, For they will live, singing, Chilcott’s Requiem In the new Jerusalem, Where one endless arch of light by Raised by a carpenter’s son, Breaks night.Members of the Chancel Choir This is our Bethlehem, reborn in Him, A paradise of deepest peace. We go to rest in that new garden, In eternal Eden, Where light is sown for the righteous And gladness for the upright in heart. Lord, have mercy upon us. Christ, have mercy upon us. Linda Muehlig
Offertorio
Domine Jesu Christe, Rex gloriae, libera animas Lord Jesus Christ, King of glory, free the souls omnium fidelium defunctorum of all the faithful departed de poenis inferni et de profundo lacu from the pains of hell and from the deep pit. Libera eas de ore leonis, ne absorbeat tartarus, Free them from the jaws of the lion, lest hell ne cadant in obscurum. engulf them, lest they fall into darkness.
H ostias et preces tibi, Domine, In praise we offer to thee, Lord, laudis offerimus. sacrifices and prayers. Tu suscipe pro animabus illis, Receive them for the souls quarum hodie memoriam facimus of those we remember this day. Fac eas, Domine, de morte transire ad vitam, quam Make them, Lord, pass from death to life, as olim Abrahae promisisti et semini ejus. Thou didst promise Abraham and his seed.
With a sense of urgency. With quickened breath. With earnest hope and deep humility. With audac- ity and trepidation. Thus, we address you, O Lord. We offer a singular plea on behalf of all who have gone before us, yet we cannot keep the fear from our voices. Deliver the souls of the faithful departed, but deliver our souls as well! Darkness threatens to consume us at every turn, and our eyes strain to see the path that lies ahead. Though Christ has already overcome death once and for all, death re- mains a reality from which we are not yet free. How long, O Lord, must we languish in sorrow? How long must the dissonance of our lives clash against the consonance of your kingdom? How long must we wait in anticipation of the day when death will be no more? And yet, despite our sorrow, we remember the self-emptying love that sank down into the depths of suffering for us. We remember the new covenant, sealed in the blood of the Lamb that was shed for all and for the forgiveness of sins. We remember our teacher who rose from the dead in the darkness of morning to meet us in our grief. We remember the wondrous love who called us by name and claimed us as his own. And so, we sing on through our tears and through our pain, lifting our prayers for the souls of those we remember this day. We sing on, trustingReflections in the promises of our God. We sing on, our prayers of hope that God will shepherd us from death into life echoing again and again and again... on ...and yet doubt and fear return. How could they not? Death is the great unknown of our lives. What lies beyond the veil? We long for answers, forChilcott’s certainty, but the truth remains Requiem a mystery to us. Such is the great and frustrating mystery of our faith: Christ has died, Christ is risen, and Christ will come again in glory. Yet we do not journey through the life of faith alone. When death or violenceb ory affliction take hold of us, we meet each other in our sorrow, in our pain, and in our loneliness. In so doing we meetMembers you, O God, face to face. of Even thethough we Chancel may walk through darkest Choir valleys, we have no reason to fear, for you are Emmanuel—God with us—and we will dwell in your house forever and ever. Amen, amen.
Andrew Frazier
Pie Jesu Pie Jesu Domine, dona eis requiem. Gentle Lord Jesus, grant them rest.
Pie Jesu Domine, dona eis sempiternam requiem. Gentle Lord Jesus, grant them eternal rest.
The text for the Pie Jesu is taken from the Dies Irae portion of the traditional requiem mass, but has been set as a separate movement in a Requiem by many classical composers and even a few popular composers, including a much performed version by Andrew Lloyd Weber. The Lloyd Weber version has been recorded by Sarah Brightman, Charlotte Church, Marie Osmond, Jackie Evancho, and the Celtic Women, just to name of few! The text, Pie Jesu domine, dona eis sempiternam requiem, is most often translated as “Pious Lord Jesus, grant them eternal rest.” Gabriel Fauré, the composer of what is regarded by many as the greatest choral Requiem, chose to translate the Latin as “Good Lord Jesus,” but one might argue that in the Requiem the choir is offering today, the composer, Bob Chilcott, has captured the most comforting meaning in his translation, “gentle Lord Jesus,” and perhaps in his music as well.
Pious is a wonderful characteristic, of course. We know that Jesus was the very epitome of pious. But in our grief, in our suffering, it is Jesus’ gentleness that calls out to us. We read in Matthew 11: 28-30 the following words: “Come to me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” This gentle Jesus is the one to whom we pray in the midst of our pain, in our deeply felt loss, and in our plea for a loved one’s eternal rest. The change from “pious” to “gentle” is a small change—just one word—but what a difference! It would certainly be daunting or perhaps even frightening to reach out to a “pious” Lord, but we can sing our hearts out to a “gentle” Lord. This gentle lord might gather us into his presence just as we are —with all of our grief and fear, as well as with our joy and faith. A gentle Lord might even be listen- ing closely enough to hear as one solo voice begins quietly in prayer “gentle Jesus, gentle, gentle Lord Jesus, grant them eternal rest.” Reflections Soon, one voice swells to a chorus of many singing in harmony, but still softly asking that those who have gone before us might find rest. In musical notation we use the letter p for the Italian wordon piano, soft, and sometimes combine it with other letters for variations of soft such as mp (mezzo piano – half soft) or pp (pianissimo – very soft). Those Chilcott’sare the dynamic levels that appearRequiem throughout most of this movement. Even when all the voices are singing together, the dynamic level remains gentle, never ever venturing to a forte (loud). How many requiems have been sung, through how many generations, softly pleading with the same gentle Lord? Eventually, as the movement ends, every voice joinsby in unison to sing the word “requiem,” the promised rest. And then finally, the music flows sweetly into silence, andMembers somehow we are also given of rest forthe ourselves. Chancel Choir
Sandra McDonald
Sanctus Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth. Holy, holy, holy Lord God of Hosts.
Pleni sunt coeli et terra Gloria tua. Heaven and earth are fully of thy glory. Hosanna in excelsis. Hosanna in the highest. Benedictus qui venit Blessed is he who cometh in nomine Domini. in the name of the Lord.
Listen! Do you hear it? There is a whole lot going on! Isaiah describes it this way: “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of God’s robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another and said: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord, the God of hosts; all of heaven and earth are full of God’s glory.’ ” This text from Isaiah 6:1-8, the scripture that becomes the text of the Sanctus, describes Isaiah’s vision of God in the Temple. And what an amazing vision it is! Chilcott’s music certainly reflects this chaotic scene. The tempo is rapid—the composer says “With urgency,” and the dynamics range from piano, to forte, to fortissimo. In the rather unusual 7/8 time signature that Chilcott has chosen, you can hear the joyful beating of wings and forward movement. First the women sing, and then the men, echoing the call and response of the seraphim: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord, the God of hosts.” Though this is an Old Testament text, there is a foreshadowing of the Trinity inherent in the music. The 7/8 rhythm is felt in a pattern of three beats—1-2-3, 1-2, 1-2— over and over again as the first phrase is repeated three times.
Then a new section appears, and grows in intensity as it is repeated a second and third time. The choir joins voices to proclaim that God’s presence is not limited to the Temple alone: “All of heaven and earth are full of God’s glory.” And all voices join the seraphim in jubilant praise of the One in whose presence they fly: “Hosanna in the highest heaven!” The text and music then shift again: “Blessed is the one who comesReflections in the name of the Lord,” beginning softly with the soprano voices. But not for long—the exuberance simply cannot be contained! The movement ends with the choir and orchestra loudly proclaiming “Hosanna,on Ho- sanna in the highest.” Even in a time of grief, the usual setting for a requiem, we are reminded that both those in heaven and those on earth, theChilcott’s living saints and the saints Requiem no longer with us, are in the powerful presence of the Most High God.
Listen! Do you hear it? Do you hear them? They are lifting us into, and reminding us thatb wey are already in, the very presence of God. Members of the Chancel Choir Brent Ivey
Agnus Dei
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world, dona eis requiem, sempiternam requiem. grant them rest, eternal rest.
Agnus Dei, or Lamb of God, is the fifth movement of the Chilcott Requiem. In worship traditions which follow the format of the Catholic mass, it is sung or chanted just before the distribution of bread and wine in Holy Communion, linking the image of a lamb with this sacrament of remem- brance and sacrifice. Jesus is named the Lamb of God by John the Baptist when John sees him approaching the Jordan River in order to be baptized. “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” John cries out. God had prepared John ahead of time to know that the one on whom he saw the Spirit of God come to rest would be the Son of God. And so with this announcement begins Jesus’ ministry to seek and to save the lost. Lamb metaphors are often used in both Old and New Testaments. One of the most dramatic images is that of the Passover Lamb in the book of Exodus. As God worked to provide the Israelites an escape from bondage in Egypt, the last of the plagues he sent to Pharaoh required the Jews to use the blood of a lamb to mark their doorways, so that the angel of death would pass them by and spare the lives of their firstborn. In a New Testament parallel, the blood of Jesus, our Passover (or Paschal) Lamb, figuratively marks us and spares us from the death our sin has earned us. The sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus, who takes away the sin of the world (qui tollis peccata mundi), is our escape from the bondage of sin and death.
In a story from the book of Acts, the apostle Philip used a lamb metaphor to witness to the Ethiopian eunuch. Much to the Ethiopian’s confusion, the passage from Isaiah that he was reading when he encountered Philip spoke of a sheep being led to slaughter and a lamb which was silent. “Of whom was the prophet speaking?” he wondered. Philip used the Ethiopian’s reading to tell him the good news of Jesus who, though innocent, chose his own death in paymentReflections for our sins. Jesus’ silent refusal to defend himself to the authorities during his trial further connected him to this prophecy. In com- mon usage today, “like a lamb to the slaughter” refers to someone who proceeds innocently,on without knowing something bad will happen. Jesus, however, was not that lamb. He knew what awaited him. Jesus chose his suffering out of love for us, Chilcott’sto spare us from the suffering Requiem we deserve. In a departure from the ordinary mass, the requiem mass changes the last bit of the traditional Agnus Dei, dona eis requiem (grant them rest), echos our concern for our loved ones who have died:by that they rest from their labors, eternally (sempiternam). Jesus, our Sacrifical Lamb, will bring each of us who trust in the power of his resurrection into the fold of God’s kingdom where we will live forever as lambs of God.Members of the Chancel Choir
Kathy Wirstrom
Thou Knowest, Lord
Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts; shut not thy merciful ears to our prayer; but spare us. Lord most holy, O God most mighty. O holy and merciful Saviour, thou most worthy Judge eternal, suffer us not, at our last hour, for any pains of death, to fall from thee.
The only movement of the Requiem in English, “Thou Knowest, Lord” draws upon the psalms and begins with a prayer of supplication for God to hear our prayers and to spare us from the pain of death and loss. Taking the form of the lament psalms, and drawing specifically upon the committal service in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, this movement both expresses the pain of those who have suffered loss and simultaneously expresses a deep-seated faith in a merciful and just God who hears our prayers.
The opening line in the movement calls to mind Psalm 139, reminding us of a God who knows us in our inmost being; a God who knows all of the secret places within us; who formed us in our mothers’ wombs. It is to this God that we pray. This is the God to whom we lament and voice our complaint. This is the God who searches us and knows us; who hears us and loves us. It is precisely because God knows us in this way that we can bring our laments to God.
Psalms of lament take on a structure that expresses the very real hurts and plights that people experi- ence. At the same time, the psalms of lament remind people who God is, and what God has done. The final phrase in this movement “suffer us not, at our last hour, for any pains of death, to fall from thee,” causes me to reflect on the story of Job. Job suffered greatly and minced no words regarding his suffering. He sought God to indict God for the suffering he experienced. He prayed for death, for an end to his pain, for an explanation as to what he did to deserve such punishment. Job, however, amid his complaint remains faithful. Rather than turning away from God, in his lament, he turns toward God. The final phrase in this movement is a prayer that no matter the pain we endure, our faith, like Job’s, would remain. Reflections God knows our secrets; our deepest pain. God knows our hopes and our fears; our joys and our sorrows. In the midst of it all, God is still God; merciful and just. We can bear our souls to onthis God, knowing that God will hear us and never forsake us. Chilcott’s Requiem Amy Ruhf by Members of the Chancel Choir
Lux Aeterna Lux aeterna luceat eis, Domine, Eternal light shine on them, O Lord, cum sanctis tuis in aeternum, quia pius es. with the saints forever, for thou art good. Requiem aeternam dona eis Domine, Grant them eternal rest, O Lord, et lux perpetua luceat eis. and light perpetual shine on them.
Requiem aeternam. Eternal rest.
Lux Aeterna (Eternal Light), concludes our very special Requiem journey, shepherding the souls of those we were so blessed to love in life from death toward eternal life. This touchingly beautiful ending of the Requiem reflects back to the opening music and text of the first movement that began our sacred journey, perhaps suggesting that this is indeed not an ending, and what had seemed to be the ending of our sacred journey is instead yet another beginning, of eternal life.
I remember the deep sadness and also deeply touching intimacy of sitting with my mom as she was dying, after a very exhausting 12-year battle with lymphoma…a 12-year battle that took its toll on her tiny but mighty 95-lb body…a 12-year battle that allowed her to share in and leave her deeply loving mark on so many important family events—high school and college graduations and weddings of grandchildren and births of great-grandchildren. My parents had moved all over the world for my father’s work; in retirement and in illness, they searched for what Home meant to these nomads of the 21st Century. As my mom grew more gravely ill, they decided to move their entire household in three weeks’ time from their long-time retirement home in Florida to the small farming community in southern Ohio where my mom had grown up…my dad believing that he was choosing to bring his wife of 67 years Home after she had traveled all over the world with him for his work…and my mom knowing that she was bringing my dad Home to a safe place that would look after him as one of their own after she died. They were both right.
My mom entered the hospital the night they arrived in her hometown; she died a week later. I stayed with her for that week, holding her hand and singing to her some of her favorite hymns the night she died. It was a deeply deeply touching experience…the daughter thatReflections she had given birth to and supported throughout life now doing her best to walk alongside and support her mom as her mom left her earthly body behind to continue on with her journey from death to eternal life. on
I felt such deep sadness…her passing would leave such a big hole, such a tiny body with such a big heart. And I felt the far deeper power of love,Chilcott’s that the powerful echoes Requiem of her love would always be with me and with all those who had been blessed to be touched by that love. by Lux aeterna, the echoes of love deeply shared that continue on forever…in the feathers a friend’s family keeps finding to give them solace in memory of their cherished little toddler…in the pair of birds that Memberssing and play in the tree tops of above themy parents’ Chancel graves, calling me to joinChoir my mom’s and my dad’s spirits out in the world making the difference that only each one of us knows how to make. Lux aeterna, lux perpetua, everlasting light of love.
Barb Ladewski
CHANCEL CHOIR
Soprano Alto Tenor Karen Al-Saadi Sandy Anderson Brent Carr
Barb DeLancey* Haley Brown Bob Davison Pam Ehrhart Cheong-Hee Chang Henry Johnson Rosanne Emanuele Anne Colvin Dale Lancaster* Dorothy Gates* Lisa Danielson Gerry Leckrone Margo Gill Millie Danielson David Magumba
Marilyn Gouin Sue Dempsey Norm Samuelson Harmony Heath* Jeannette Faber* Gary Stahl Lorna Hildebrandt Heidi Hess-Willis Jeff Taggart Grace Jones Lois Jelneck Nick Yankey Laurel Kauffman Nancy Klein* Henry Zelisse* Jan Leckrone Barb Ladewski Abby Liskow Sandra McDonald Bass Ed Dagnes Linda Muehlig Beth McNally Chris Dahl Merry Muilenberg* Marilyn Meeker Benton DeGroot Eva Peng Catherine Moore Elijah Emmons Sara Peth Karen Moorhead Clayton Farmer Jenny Rhodes Bonnie Palmquist Andrew Frazier Mary Schieve* Sarah Reinhardt* Ben Helmke Donna Smith Ann Ringia Downs Herold Leslie Smith Amy Ruhf Brent Ivey Hannah Sparrow Coleen Slosberg Ralph Kauffman Lynn Sutton Mary Smith Mark Lindley Marcey Terrien Linda Speck Ken Mosley Linda Tubbs Gayle Stevens Rick Spalding Margie Van Tuyl Jean White Simon Suboski* Kathy Wirstrom Ron Sutton Lorna Hildebrandt & Hannah Sparrow, Soprano Soloists David Magumba, Tenor Soloist David A. VanderMeer, Minister of Music andReflections Fine Arts Paul Haebig, Organist on * Unable to sing with the choir this morning Chilcott’s Requiem MICHIGAN SINFONIETTA by Violin I Cello Clarinet Joseph Deller Sarah Cleveland Sandra Jackson Members Concertmaster Debraof Lonerganthe Chancel Elliott RossChoir Priscilla Johnson Bassoon Delia Turner Bass Gregg Emerson Powell Scott Armstrong Daniel Strachyra Christian Green Flute Violin II Penelope Fischer Horn Barbara Sturgis-Everett Dennis Carter II Curt Civilette Phoebe Gelzer-Govatos Georg Hranov Susan Hammerton Oboe Kristin Reynolds Trumpet Viola Yuki Harding Ross Turner Jeanine Bradbury Timothy Krohn Alycia Wilder Linda Speck Timpani Terence Farmer
THE SACRED MUSIC FUND
We gratefully acknowledge the generosity of the individuals listed below who have made contributions to the Sacred Music Fund between October 2018 and September 2019. The Fund was established to provide financial support to enhance the outreach of the Music Ministry at First Presbyterian Church to the greater Ann Arbor community through special music offerings. Contributions in any amount are appreciated. Your contribution may be a meaningful way to honor or remember friends and loved ones. Checks may be made payable to First Presbyterian Church, with “Sacred Music Fund” in the memo line. Online contributions to the Sacred Music Fund may be made on our website: www.firstpresbyterian.org.
MEMORIALS
In memory of Dale Heikkinen In memory of Ed & Betty Doezema David & Denise Heikinen Philip & Bette Doezema Nancy Heikinen
Prudence Heikkinen In memory of Fritz & Judy Lehmann
Janice Light Herbert Hammond Shirley Lehmann In memory of Ben Van Tuyl Laurie Bluemlein In memory of Judy Slade Mark Lindley & Sandy Talbott Barb Ladewski Jean Loup Bill Slade Jane Ostrander In memory of Sue Leong Marjorie Van Tuyl Barb Ladewski Burt Voss In memory of Thomas & Ellen Miller Mullett In memory of Betty Doezema Barb Ladewski Mary Hathaway Ross & MaryLinda Kittleman Reflections GENERAL CONTRIBUTIONS Robin Agnew Tom & Lisa McKarns on Lois Aroian Polly Pan Eldon & Katie Beery Chilcott’sLuke & Katherine PanningRequiem Sally Churchill Al & Sheryl Powell Lisa Danielson Lorna Prescott Mike Doa & Ann Murray-Doa by Ligia Reynolds Terence & Martha Farmer Ann Ringia William & Patricia Findlay Members of theMary Chancel Schieve Choir Downs & Sondra Herold Sharon Sheldon Herb & Delores Hildebrandt Erick & Coleen Slosberg Henry & Billie Johnson Linda Speck Ralph & Laurel Kauffman Ron Sutton Nancy Klein David VanderMeer & Brent Ivey Ed & Virginia Koster Karen Walter Martha Krehbiel Felicity Williams John LeDuc Charlotte Wolfe Bruce McCuaig Angela Yang
Thank you to Marilyn Meeker for creating this booklet of Theological Reflections by choir members!
Reflections
on
Chilcott’s Requiem by Members of the Chancel Choir