For centuries, the sacred spaces and restrained emotions of the Requiem Mass honoring the dead have brought beauty and healing in times of conflict and violence.
The root meaning of requiem is rest, or repose for the soul of the deceased. It's a musical tradition with origins in Medieval times, when a special "funeral mass" was set to Gregorian melodies.
During the Renaissance, composed requiems for unaccompanied a cappella voices were performed at important funeral services. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the requiem expanded into large scale concert works for chorus, orchestra and organ by mainstream composers from MOZART to BERLIOZ. In the 20th century, non-liturgical requiems commemorated wars and victims of tragedies, along with hymns and instrumental elegies, commemorative poems and psalms set to music.
On this transmission of Hearts of Space, another special program by our longtime guest producer for sacred and classical music ELLEN HOLMES, called REQUIEM AETERNAM 2. The Latin translates as "grant them eternal peace." The "2" refers to Ellen's original "Requiem Aeternam" show from 1987.
Music is by PATRICK HAWES, the boy's choir LIBERA, the BOYS AIR CHOIR, the ST.PHILIPS BOY'S CHOIR, ROBERT MORAN, HESPERION XX, THOMAS TALLIS, MANUEL CARDOSO, JEAN RICHAFORT, TOMAS LUIS DE VICTORIA, GUILLAUME BOUZIGNAC, ARVO PÄRT, MAX RICHTER, the PAT METHENY GROUP, and GAVIN BRYARS.
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