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Andrew Lloyd Webber’s *Pie Jesu*, from his 1985 *Requiem*, reimagines the traditional Latin prayer as a luminous soprano duet. Written for the Latin Mass text—“Pie Jesu, qui tollis peccata mundi, dona eis requiem”—it blends ethereal melody with lush harmonic shifts, rising from tender pleas to a radiant climax before dissolving into serene resolution. Premiered at St. Thomas Church, New York, with Sarah Brightman and Paul Miles-Kingston, it became an instant classic, later adapted by André Rieu in Maastricht with Kimmy Skota and Mirusia Louwerse. Rieu’s orchestral warmth amplifies Webber’s romantic lyricism, preserving the piece’s devotional core while framing it for popular reverence.
Arvo Pärt’s De profundis (1977) is a choral work for male voices (TTBB), percussion, and organ, based on Psalm 130, a penitential psalm from the Latin Vulgate (“Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord”). Composed in Pärt’s signature tintinnabuli style, it features minimalist textures, stark harmonic clarity, and a meditative atmosphere. The piece unfolds slowly, with layered vocal lines and resonant organ drones, evoking a sense of spiritual longing and introspection. The percussion adds subtle, ritualistic accents. Typically lasting about 5–7 minutes, it’s a profound, contemplative setting of the sacred text, emphasizing humility and hope.
For our upcoming Remembrance Day concert. Impossibly beautiful and a honour to sing.
While performing this song, the soloist takes flight leading with beautiful passages, but then when the choir joins the piece soars even higher. Singing and sharing this during a performance can only be fully realized if you are in it.
This makes me think humanity has a chance. Through music and song, we are one.
Why do you sing in choir? This is why you sing in a choir. :)
bleatmop
Mystro
The Arbourist
Dead Wild Roses 
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