for SATB Choir. Duration: 10 mins.
A setting of the Latin Mass that lasts 10 minutes.
Programme Note:
As a child, like so many of my generation and those before and since, I was forced against my will to go to many Catholic masses.
From my childhood perspective, the masses were dreary, depressing and far too long. I HATED mass!
As I reached my teenage years, I stopped going to mass and thus ended my engagement with organised religion.
So, why have I composed a Mass?
It came after attending a performance of Bruckner’s ‘Mass in E Minor’ in the Mariendom in Linz, Austria.
It occurred to me so many great pieces of music have been set to the Latin mass text. The musical masses are all quite long though, yet the text is not very long. So, with minimal repetition of the words of the text, it’s possible to sing through the mass reasonably quickly.
I could of course have done an even quicker mass, but 10 minutes felt about right.
To me, ‘sacred’ choral music is often a beautiful expression of humanity’s emotions and one doesn’t have to be religious to enjoy listening to it.
So, given that, why does a composer need to be religious to compose music to the text of a Latin mass?
I’m happy for this Mass to be sung sincerely by religious choirs and also happy for it to be sung by atheists. Music is universal, to be enjoyed by all who care to listen.
Amen and Awomen to that.
p.s. I wonder now, if Catholic Mass was just a ten minute choral ceremony when I was a child, might I still be going to mass?!