Sometimes, amidst the tragedies of personal anguish
and universal horror, unspeakable evil seems to overwhelm
life. For centuries, composers have utilized venerable
Latin texts to capture the inexpressible - - to plead for divine intervention. Lamb
of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us, grant us peace.
As the new millennium unfolded in 2001, the epidemic
of children shooting children in America's schools struck the school
district where I was raised. Violence erupted first at
Santana High School then followed at Granite
Hills High School only seventeen days later. Lives
were lost, families were shattered, and peace was overcome by
fear. I decided then that my next creative effort would be
to compose an Agnus Dei. Months
passed, when on September 11 the world stood transfixed......stunned
by the attack on America's east coast! I began composing
Agnus Dei to seek solace and to raise voices in supplication to
the Lamb of God.
See the SATB
version
* The SATB version of "Agnus
Dei" is part of a larger
work entitled For
Whom The Bell Tolls,
co-commissioned by the Fresno State Chamber Singers and Chico State
Chamber Singers of California State University - Anna Hamre and
Jeffrey Gemmell, Directors.
AGAPE
WOMEN'S CHORUS South
Main Baptist Church
- Houston,
TX Thomas
Coker, Director
St.
Mark's Basilica (Venice) Florence
Duomo (Florence) Santa
Croce(Florence) St.
John's Basilica in Laterano (Rome) Santa
Susanna Catholic Church (Rome) ST.
PETER'S BASILICA
(Vatican City)
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