Requiem for the People by Pamela Layman Quist
Program note
Describing the compositional process, especially one that has spanned a significant period of time such as that required for writing this Requiem, is a bit like describing why one decided to give birth to a child. Some creations are dreamt of and planned—some just happen. Both kinds are blessings.
Starting with an accompanied soprano solo called Pie Jesu, Requiem for the People grew over a five-year period into its large, developed 6-movement form for mixed chorus and orchestra. Personal events combined with very public tragedy on 9/11/01 to inspire the musical expression of the Pie Jesu. It is written for solo soprano quite deliberately to represent my own voice both figuratively and literally. From the beginning, I sought to explore and express the various stages of grief that are part of the human condition, while putting all that emotional expression into the religious context and form of a requiem.
The Requiem mass contains a wealth of meaning and serves well as a summary of humankind’s complex and challenging relationship with our Creator. The contrasting texts lead us through supplication (outright begging!), fear and anger, exalted praise and, ultimately, quiet faithful acceptance, peace, and joy.
My musical models are the Requiems composed by Mozart and particularly Fauré. Mozart included the wrathful, aggressive “Dies Irae”, but Fauré highlighted the gorgeous Pie Jesu and created a prayer to the Lord that can cause even the hardest heart to crumble. The soul of the departed is gently lifted upward by two small, reluctant human hands and then released into the vast arms of a loving God.
Requiem for the People addresses a range of universal spiritual thought and human emotion, and I intend for this work to have meaning for a diverse listening audience. Each movement contains a dedication to a different group of people whose lives and deaths have held great significance for us in varying ways.
I have dedicated the reflective, gentle Introit/Kyrie to the memory of those we have personally loved and lost. By contrast, the hard-hitting, male-dominated Dies Irae is composed “in memory of those we must forgive.” If we each search our hearts, we will know who they are.
The Pie Jesu is especially dedicated to all the people who are victims—of war, assault, and natural calamity. The violence of their exit from earth is hopefully softened somewhat by this prayer to grant them everlasting rest. Sanctus, the fourth movement, is both reverent and joyous and was written in memory of our children, those precious souls who remain forever children because their time among us was very brief.
The blessings and “Hosannas” that begin in the Sanctus and conclude in the Benedictus are dedicated to the remembrance of those leaders, parents, mentors who have guided us and enlightened our paths. Like “He who comes in the name of the Lord,” these important people have not only filled our lives with love but have also sacrificed themselves in various ways to enrich our lives.
Finally, the Agnus Dei brings us full circle reminding us again of the “perpetual light” that will eternally shine on the host of our departed loved ones, and also reminding us of who we once were in their eyes. The tenor solos are especially dedicated to one such person in my life.
Let me say just a brief word about my use of wind chimes in this work. I love the idea that music can break out randomly and spontaneously around us in our normal day-to-day lives. Sometimes we are so preoccupied that we miss it entirely. Wind chimes represent the sudden and often brief moments when we are “surprised by joy,” and we actually listen. As the wind stirs the chimes and they resonate, we too may be stirred to greater awareness.
I have been deeply moved over the years by both the beauty and the terror of life. The brief years of our lives affect others in ways we may not know or always understand. I wrote this piece in the hope that we will all be reminded that life is fragile and that we have a tremendous impact on one another in life as well as death. Requiem for the People honors those whom we have lost and acknowledges that wide spectrum of thought and emotion we must each confront when we simply choose to remember.
