Requiem for Walter ( & Merchant Seamen)

Background to the Requiem

YouTube Video of Requiem for Walter

The Words and the Recordings

The recordings will give some idea of the Requiem. The baritone solos are sung by the composer (to the best of his abilities).
The solo soprano is a sampled voice from the 'Soloists of Prague'. The choir is sampled and uses 'Voices of Prague'.
The orchestra is sampled and uses 'Garriton Personal Orchestra'.
Click on the player start button for each movement to listen. You can also download and save the audio files.

Whole recording in one file

Requiem for Walter

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Individual movements

0. Introit - Nunc Dimittis (Solo Baritone)

1. Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace: according to thy word.
2. For mine eyes have seen: thy salvation,
3. Which thou hast prepared: before the face of all people;

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Composed 4 February - 9 February 2020

1. Requiem Aeternam (Chorus)

Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine. Et lux perpetua luceat eis.
Requiem aeternam dona defunctis, Domine. Et lux perpetua luceat eis.
Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine Et lux perpetua eis.

Grant them eternal rest, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon them.
Eternal rest give unto the dead, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon them.
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord And let perpetual shine on them.

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Composed 13 March - 10 April 2019

2. Psalm 130 - De Profundis (Solo Soprano and Baritone, Double Chorus)

1. OUT of the deep have I called unto thee, O LORD; Lord, hear my voice.
2. O let thine ears consider well the voice of my complaint.
6. My soul fleeth unto the Lord before the morning watch; I say, before the morning watch.

Psalm 107 - Confitemini Domino

23. They that go down to the sea in ships : and occupy their business in great waters;
24. These men see the works of the Lord : and his wonders in the deep.
25. For at his word the stormy wind ariseth : which lifteth up the waves thereof.
28. So when thy cry unto the Lord in their trouble : he delivereth them out of their distress.
29. For he maketh the storm to cease : so that the waves thereof are still.
30. Then are they glad, because they are at rest : and so he bringeth them unto the haven where they would be.

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Composed 22 March - 2 April 2020

3. Lacrimosa dies illa (Chorus)

Lacrimosa dies illa
Qua resurget ex favilla
Judicandus homo reus.
Huic ergo parce, Deus:
Pie Jesu Domine:
Dona eis requiem. Amen.

That sorrowful day, on which will rise from the ashes arises guilty man, to be judged.
Spare us by your mercy, Lord, all pitying, Jesus blest,
Grant them Thine eternal rest. Amen.

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Composed 11 April - 27 May 2019

4. Psalm 77 - Voce mea ad Dominum(Solo Soprano)

16. The waters saw thee, O God, the waters saw thee, and were afraid: the depths also were troubled.
19. Thy way is in the sea, and thy paths in the great waters: and thy footsteps are not known.

Psalm 65 - Te decet hymnus

7. Who stilleth the raging of the sea : and the noise of his waves, and the madness of the people.
8. They also that dwell in the uttermost parts of the earth shall be afraid at thy tokens : thou that makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to praise thee.

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Composed 7 April - 16 April 2020 (The final section to be written)

5. Libera me, Domine (Chorus)

Libera me, Domine
de morte aeterna in die illa tremenda
quando coeli movendi sunt et terra,
dum veneris judicare saeculum per ignem.

Rescue me, O Lord, from eternal death in that awful day
when the heavens and the earth shall come to judge the world by fire.

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This is set to a passacaglia in 5/4 time
Composed 27 May - 9 June 2019

6. Passionate Man's Pilgrimage - Walter Ralegh (Solo Baritone)

Give me my scallop shell of quiet,
My staff of faith to walk upon,
My scrip of joy, immortal diet,
My bottle of salvation,
Blood must be my body's balmer,
No other balm will there be given,
Whilst my soul, like a white palmer,
Travels to the land of heaven;
Over the silver mountains,
Where spring the nectar fountains;
And there I'll kiss
The bowl of bliss,
And drink my eternal fill
On every milken hill.
My soul will be a-dry before,
But after it will ne'er thirst more;
And by the happy blissful way
More peaceful pilgrims I shall see,
That have shook off their gowns of clay,
And go apparelled fresh like me.

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Composed 3-9 December 2019

7. Domine, Jesu Christe (Chorus)

Domine, Jesu Christe,
Rex gloriae, libera animas omnium fidelium defunctorum
de poenis inferni et de profundo lacu.

O Lord, Jesus Christ, King of glory,
deliver the souls of all the faithful departed
from the pains of hell and from the bottomless pit.

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References Melita ( Eternal Father strong to save ) and Mannheim ( Lead us Heavenly Father lead us ) Hymn tunes
Composed 15-31 July 2019

8. Psalm 93 - Dominus regnavit (Solo Soprano and Baritone)

5 The waves of the sea are mighty, and rage horribly; but yet the LORD, who dwelleth on high, is mightier.

Psalm 104 - Benedic, anima mea

24 O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all; the earth is full of thy riches.
25 So is the great and wide sea also; wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts.
26 There go the ships, and there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to take his pastime therein.

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Listen out for the leviathan (whale song) !!
Composed 10 February-22 March 2020

9. Sanctus and Benedictus (Chorus)

Sanctus

Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus
Dominus Deus Sabaoth!
Pleni sunt coeli et terra gloria tua.
Hosanna in excelsis!

Benedictus

Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domine.
Hosanna in excelsis!

Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God of hosts!
The heavens and earth is yours.
Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest!

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Composed 6-28 August 2019

10. Epitaph - Walter Ralegh (Chorus)

Even such is time, which takes in trust
Our youth, our joys, and all we have,
And pays us but with age and dust,
Who in the dark and silent grave
When we have wandered all our ways
Shuts up the story of our days,
And from which earth, and grave, and dust
The Lord will raise me up, I trust.

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Composed 3-5 November 2019
Orchestrated from an a capella composition of 1996, written for Myllburne Camerata

11. Agnus Dei (Chorus)

Agnus Dei qui tollis peccata mundi dona eis requiem.
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi,
dona eis requiem sempiternam.

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, grant them rest.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
grant them everlasting rest.

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Composed 23-29 September 2019
References Morse SOS! - conceived on holiday sailing in Kefalonia.
This is not a restful movement - more of a plea for rest!

12. Hymn - attrib. Walter Ralegh (Solo Soprano and Chorus)

Rise, O my soul! with thy desires to heaven,
And with divinest contemplation use
Thy time, when time's eternity is given,
And let vain thoughts no more thy thoughts abuse;
But down in darkness let them lie;
So live thy better, let thy worse thoughts die.

And thou, my soul, inspired with holy flame,
View and review with most regardful eye
That holy cross whence thy salvation came,
On which thy Saviour and thy sin did die!
For in the sacred object is much pleasure,
And in that Saviour is my life treasure.

To Thee, O Jesu! I direct mine eyes,
To Thee my hands, to Thee my humble knees;
To Thee my heart shall offer sacrifice;
To Thee my thoughts, who thoughts only see;
To Thee myself, myself and all I give;
To Thee I die, to Thee I only live.

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Hymn tune (Lightle) Composed 9-10 November 2019,
Movement composed 11 November - 2 December 2019

13. Lux Aeterna (Chorus)

Lux aeterna luceat eis Domine
cum sanctis tuis in aeternum: quia pius es.

Requiem aeternam

Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine;
et lux perpetua luceat eis.

Eternal light shine upon them
with the Saints forever, because you are merciful.
Grant them eternal rest, O Lord;
and let perpetual light shine upon them.

Play

Composed 5 October - 2 November 2019
The Requiem Aeternam section returns to the opening music and G minor key of the 2nd movement
and ends with the bassoon notes representing the ship entering its final harbour.

14. Postlude - Nunc Dimittis (Solo Soprano and Chorus)

2. For mine eyes have seen: thy salvation,
3. Which thou hast prepared: before the face of all people;
with chorus
4. To be a light to lighten the Gentiles: and to be the glory of thy people Israel.
Chorus
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be,
World without end, Amen

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Composed 9-26 February 2020
The postlude reuses musical material from the opening movement and ends with the motif from the "Epitaph" movement.