We Remember: The John Rutter Requiem with St. Andrew’s Presbyterian and Knox Presbyterian Church Choirs and guest musicians Michele Cusson, soprano; Olivia Richie, harp; Neil Cockburn, pipe organ; Meran Currie-Roberts, cello; Reinhard Sunnus, flute; Sheryl Reinhardt, oboe; Michael Schuett/Rob Maciak, glockenspiel; Andrew Ball, timpani; Cody Obst, conductor.

St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church Choir – Cody Obst Musical Director

Knox Presbyterian Church Choir – Paul Grindlay and Jim Picken, Musical Directors

The Requiem by John Rutter is a musical setting of an adaptation of the Roman Catholic Requiem Mass, completed in 1985. The setting utilises a choir with an orchestral accompaniment, along with a soprano soloist. The Requiem was first performed on 13 October 1985 at Lovers’ Lane United Methodist Church, Dallas, Texas (Director of Music: Allen Pote) by the Sanctuary Choir and orchestra.

The first movement consists of the Introit from the Tridentine Requiem Mass (Requiem aeternam) and the Kyrie. The second movement is entitled Out of the Deep, and is based on Psalm 130, a psalm commonly used at Anglican funerals. It contains a prominent cello solo written in C minor. The third movement is the motet Pie Jesu. It begins with a soprano soloist singing with a very light accompaniment, with only slight involvement of the chorus echoing the words “Dona eis requiem, Dona eis sempiternam requiem”. The fourth movement is the Sanctus (with Benedictus) and, characteristically, it is a bright, lively, and exclamatory movement which is brightly orchestrated with bells, flute, and oboe and occasional timpani recalling the passage in Old Testament scripture in Isaiah chapter 6, and the worship of the six-winged seraphim in the heavenly throne-room of God. The fifth movement is the Agnus Dei in the version used in the Tridentine Requiem Mass. The sixth movement is Psalm 23, another psalm commonly used at Anglican funerals. The seventh movement includes words from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer Burial Service (“I heard a voice from heaven…”) and the communion chant from the Tridentine Requiem Mass (Lux aeterna).

The work lasts about 40 minutes.