requiem

I changed my music two days back and now it's requiem aeternam from the collection "Requiem" by John Rutter. Oh man. This movement is one of my favourites in the whole work - Lux Aeterna is a close second. The work is supposed to be a prayer for the dead, sort of sung at a funeral, asking for God to grant eternal rest. The melody is extremely haunting at first, especially when the sections are singing in canon and later converging together to sing the same lyrics. The effect created is like...WOAH. And just when you think that it's going to get spookier, the harp comes in and the whole atmosphere just changes in that one beat. Hahaha...That's my favourite part. Anyway, here are the lyrics...

Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine:

Grant them eternal rest, O Lord,

et lux perpetua luceat eis.

and may light eternal shine upon them.

(4 Esdr. 2, 34-35)

Te decet hymnus Deus in Sion,

It is fitting that a hymn should be raised unto Thee in Sion

et tibi reddetur votum in Ierusalem:

and a vow paid to Thee in Jerusalem:

exaudi orationem meam,

give ear to my prayer, O Lord,

ad te omnis caro veniet.

unto Thee all flesh shall come at last.

(Sal. 64 (65), 1-2)

Kyrie, eleison!

Lord, have mercy!

Christe, eleison!

Christ, have mercy!

Kyrie, eleison!

Lord, have mercy!

Wow. See? If you come to my blog, I'll even educate you on some choral works! =)) Ha. Talk about educational value.

Anyway, I woke up extremely late today. 11.30am. That's a staggering half hour to noon! Argh. Shall have to mug hard today to make up for the lost time. Time to spend some time with my endearing cell membranes. ugh.