AGNUS DEI

For equal voices a cappella
AGNUS DEI
〜 based on the melody of a monophonic chant 〜

Teruaki SUZUKI
Latin Liturgical Text

Origin:

Commissioned by the 3rd Wakayama International Children’s Chorus Festival 2014, this piece was written for a joint performance by all participating choirs including invited choirs from abroad.

Features:

The structure is based on one of the Gregorian chants “Agnus Dei” as a fixed melody, starting with unison derived from the monophonic chant prototype, polyphony with polytonal and extended melody, presentation of fugue and stretta with the original melody as the main chorus, two chorales based on modes, and so on. The main pillars of the structure are polyphony with extended melody, presentation of fugue and stretta with the original melody as the main chorus, and two chorales based on modes. The composer hopes that the music evoked from liturgical music, which is the heritage of mankind, will harmonize and resonate as a common language that transcends time and borders, thus giving birth to this work.

• SSA a cappella
• div. in all parts
• 4 minutes 30 seconds
• Sound-taking difficulty medium on top
• Language – Latin (difficulty medium) 8 pages
• Suitable for concerts and events

Voice Range:

Sop. c1 – a2
Mez. c1 – a2
Alt. g# – c2#