Requiem Of Loss - Edward-Rhys Harry

Duration: 30'
Ensemble: SATB chamber orchestra
Grading: Medium
ISMNPartPriceQuantity
M708047957 Full score (vocal score) £9.00
Checkout

Click to enlarge

The ceaseless determination to prolong life by medical advances and stave off the process of ageing has made death the final taboo ‒ an insult rather than an inevitability. As a result, the loss of a loved one comes as an appalling shock; the physical and emotional pain can be overwhelming. These dark moments are explored and reflected upon in Requiem Of Loss.

Requiem Of Loss is principally a choral work which takes the listener on the journey from the first impact of losing someone, through the many aspects of mourning, ending in one final, devastating realisation: there is no option but to say goodbye.

The work is in nine movements, from the enraged Requiem Aeternam and the masculine, rhythmic Kyrie Eleison to the feminine, ethereal Pie Jesu, and the final reflection of O Lord Now Lettest Thou Thy Servant Depart In Peace. The Libera Me is set as a duet – a conversation between a man and a woman who have lost a child. This movement is dedicated to all those who have suffered a similar loss.

The requiem is set to the traditional Latin texts used in the Catholic funeral service with added verses from the Bible.

Requiem Of Loss was written for and premiered by Bristol Chamber Choir in 2008.

Optional Orchestration:

Flute
Oboe doubling cor anglais
Clarinet in B flat
Bassoon

Trumpet in B flat
Euphonium

Timpani

Harp
Organ

Violin
Violoncello