Valedictio - In paradisum (“Into paradise” - The “fare
thee well” of the mass. This is sung in procession on the
way from the final blessing of the corpse in church to
the graveyard where burial takes place.)
What is a Requiem?
A Requiem is essentially a mass for the dead. The
ceremony is usually celebrated in context with a funeral
within the Roman Catholic Church, though similar
ceremonies exist within other denominations. The
Requiem Mass (typically performed in Latin) is notable
for all of the musical compositions it has inspired; over
2,000 Requiem compositions have been composed to
date.
What are the parts of a Requiem Mass?
The Requiem texts typically set to music are the
following:
Introit – Requiem aeternam (“Rest eternal” -Mass
formulas are known by the first text in the Introit. Thus
a Mass for the dead is referred to a Requiem Mass.)
Kyrie eleison - (“Lord have mercy” – the only part of the
mass to be sung in Greek. The biblical roots of this
prayer first appear in 1 Chronicles 16:34.)
Gradual - a name given to a vocal piece that is often
sung by a chorale while standing on steps in a church
Tract – (“Forgive us our sins, O Lord,” obviously a
preoccupation with the need to purify oneself prior to
entering the next world.)
Sequence (i.e., Dies Irae) – (“Day of Wrath” - The Dies
iræ is a personal meditation on the Gospel for the First
Sunday of Advent, Luke xxi.25-36, and its first liturgical
use was probably for that day. The Dies iræ has no real
place in the mass, however, a requiem mass is often
personalized and the wildly graphic imagery of the Dies
iræ makes it a favorite.)
Offertory – (A method of prayer which helps the dead
and benefits the living by reminding them to prepare
for death.)
Sanctus - (The doxology praising God’s holiness.)
Agnus Dei – (“Lamb of God” – invocation of the Lamb of
God beseeching His mercy. It appears in John 1:29,
where John the Baptist sees Jesus and exclaims, "Behold
the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.")
Communion – (sharing of the bread and wine.)
Pie Jesu - (“Merciful Lord Jesus” – a petition addressed
to the Lord Jesus Christ in favor of the dead.)
Libera Me – ("Deliver me" - a Roman Catholic response
that is sung during the absolution of the dead, a service
of prayers for the dead said beside the coffin
immediately after the Requiem Mass and before burial.
The text of Libera Me asks God to have mercy upon the
deceased person at the Last Judgment.)
About Gabriel Fauré
Gabriel Fauré lived from 1845 till 1924. He was born in
the south of France. Notable works include his Pavane,
Requiem, nocturnes for piano and the songs "Après un
rêve" and "Clair de lune". The Requiem was written in
1888 - 1890. In 1924 the Requiem, in its full orchestral
version, was performed at Fauré's own funeral. Fauré
himself said of the work, "Everything I managed to
entertain by way of religious illusion I put into my
Requiem, which moreover is dominated from beginning
to end by a very human feeling of faith in eternal rest."
He told an interviewer, "It has been said that my
Requiem does not express the fear of death and
someone has called it a lullaby of death. But it is thus
that I see death: as a happy deliverance, an aspiration
towards happiness above, rather than as a painful
experience.”
Fauré’s Requiem is comprised of the following texts:
I.
Introit & Kyrie*
II.
Offertory
III.
Sanctus
IV.
Pie Jesu*
V.
Agnus Dei
VI.
Libera Me*
VII.
In Paradisum*
*denotes movements that will be sung by the
Community Baptist Church Adult Choir
Community Baptist Church
Adult Choir
Sopranos: Amy McDowell, Lou Williams,
Mary Wrye, Alex Wilkison**
Altos: Suzanne Chambliss**, Christine
Cornelius, Nora Hobson, Sybil Keach,
Gail Grimes
Tenors: Rick Cox, Jim Fuller, Mark
Hobson, Matt Hummel**
Baritones/Basses: John Cornelius, Bob
Crafton, Jeremiah Kenoyer**,
Austin Tenbarge**
Soprano Solist: Alex Wilkison
Baritone Soloist: Jeremiah Kenoyer
Pianist: Jica Crafton
Director: Summer Bennett
** denotes Special Guest
Translations
Introitus & Kyrie*
Requiem æternam dona
eis, Domine,
et lux perpetua luceat eis.
Te decet hymnus, Deus,
in Sion,
et tibi reddetur votum in
Jerusalem.
Exaudi orationem meam;
ad te omnis caro veniet.
Kyrie eleison.
Christe eleison.
Kyrie eleison.
Offertorium
Domine Jesu Christe, Rex
gloriæ,
libera animas
defunctorum
de pœnis inferni,
et de profundo lacu.
Libera eas de ore leonis,
ne absorbeat eas
tartarus,
ne cadant in obscurum.
Hostias et preces tibi,
Domine, laudis offerimus.
Tu suscipe pro animabus
illis
quarum hodie memoriam
facimus.
Fac eas, Domine,
de morte transire ad
vitam,
quam olim Abrahæ
promisisti,
et semini eius.
Sanctus
Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus,
Dominus Deus Sabaoth.
Pleni sunt cœli et terra
gloria tua.
Hosanna in excelsis.
Pie Jesus*
Pie Jesu Domine,
Rest eternal grant them, O
Lord,
and let perpetual light shine
on them.
To thee praise is due, O God,
in Zion,
and to thee vows are recited
in Jerusalem.
Hear my prayer;
unto thee all flesh shall
come.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord Jesus Christ, King of
glory,
deliver the souls of the dead
from punishment in the
inferno,
and from the infernal lake.
Deliver them from the mouth
of the lion,
lest the abyss swallow them
up,
lest they fall into the
darkness.
Sacrifices and prayers to
thee,
O Lord, we offer with praise.
O receive them for the souls
of those
whom today we
commemorate.
Make them, O Lord,
to pass from death to life,
as Thou of old hast promised
Abraham
and his seed.
Holy, holy, holy,
Lord God of hosts.
The heavens and earth are
filled
with Thy glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Merciful Lord Jesus,
dona eis requiem,
requiem sempiternam.
Agnus Dei
Agnus Dei,
qui tollis peccata mundi,
dona eis requiem,
requiem sempiternam.
grant them rest,
rest everlasting.
Lamb of God,
who taketh away the sins of
the world,
Grant them rest,
rest everlasting.
Lux æterna luceat eis,
Let light eternal shine on
Domine,
them, O Lord,
cum sanctis tuis in
with Thy saints forever,
æternum,
for Thou art merciful.
quia pius es.
Rest eternal grant them, O
Requiem æternam, dona Lord,
eis, Domine,
and let perpetual light shine
et lux perpetua luceat eis. on them.
Libera me*
Libera me, Domine,
Deliver me, O Lord,
de morte æterna,
from eternal death,
in die illa tremenda
on that fearful day
quando cœli movendi
when the heavens are moved
sunt et terra,
and the earth
dum veneris judicare
when Thou shalt come to
sæculum per ignem
judge
Tremens factus sum ego, the world through fire.
et timeo
I am made to tremble, and I
dum discussio venerit,
fear,
atque ventura ira.
when the desolation shall
Dies illa, dies iræ,
come,
calamitatis et miseriæ,
and also the coming wrath.
dies magna et amara
That day, the day of wrath,
valde.
calamity, and misery,
Requiem æternam, dona that terrible and exceedingly
eis, Domine,
bitter day.
et lux perpetua luceat eis. Rest eternal grant them, O
Lord,
and let perpetual light shine
on them.
In paradisum*
In paradisum deducant te
angeli,
May the angels lead you into
in tuo adventu
paradise,
suscipiant te martyres;
in your coming
et perducant te
may the martyrs receive you;
in civitatem sanctam
and may they guide you
Jerusalem.
into the holy city, Jerusalem.
Chorus angelorum te
May the chorus of angels
suscipiat,
receive you
et cum Lazaro quondam
and with Lazarus once poor
paupere
may you have eternal rest.
æternam habeas
requiem.