SMATB a cappella
19′
First performed on 21.03.2026 by the Consortium Vocale Berlin, conducted by Rory Wainwright Johnston.
Listen to the music:
Kyrie:
Gloria:
Sanctus:
Agnus Dei:
The Missa Lux et Tenebrae was commissioned and first performed on 21.03.2026 by Consortium Vocale Berlin and their conductor Rory Wainwright Johnston. Conceived as a Missa brevis (omitting the Credo) for five-part mixed choir (SMATB), the focus of this composition lies less on a purely dogmatic interpretation of the text and more on a psychological approach. The compositional impulse arose from the question: What is the emotional state of the person praying these words at this specific moment?
The Kyrie is distinctly rhythmic and grounded in a character of deep conviction. The dominant use of quintal harmony lends the movement an archaic, profound power that serves as its sonic foundation. Formally, the movement departs from the classical three part structure; a fourth section inserted between the Christe and the second Kyrie acts as a thematic bridge, weaving the main motifs together. The second Christe theme, descending in embellished chromatics, is designed as a direct link to the Agnus Dei.
In the Gloria, movement, joy, and enthusiasm take center stage. The alternating meters (6/8 – 3/4) are intended to provide a dance-like momentum. The numerous praises of God starting at “Laudamus te” are structured in a double-choir fashion, such that the voices, becoming increasingly enthusiastic, overlap and “interrupt” one another until they unite in a single homophonic voice at “gratias agimus tibi.” The middle section (from “Domine Deus”) finds a brief meditative stillness through the constant repetition of the text. The final “Quoniam” should sound friendly in a perhaps naive, but definitely sincerely positive way, bringing the movement full circle.
The Sanctus thrives on relaxed warmth and inner tranquility. The challenge for the ensemble lies in the rhythmic ambivalence: upward-moving triplet figures contrast with descending sixteenth-note patterns. The syncopations must be performed with precision but without any sense of rushing. In the “Benedictus,” the upper voices should float effortlessly above the lower choir. Here, as with the many “pleni, pleni” figures, a “laid-back” feel is explicitly desired.
The Agnus Dei forms the expressive antithesis to the vibrancy of the Kyrie and Gloria. Its fundamental character is marked by coldness and distance. The melody and harmony are defined by fourths and seconds, and a very straight, clean vocal style is encouraged. The staccato figures symbolize a dissonant rigidity from which the participating voices attempt to break free. The build-up to the fortissimo climax (from bar 73) is intended as a liberation from this emotional immobility, before the “Dona nobis pacem” invokes musical memories from the three preceding movements, bringing the Mass to a peaceful conclusion.
The individual movements of the Mass are also available as separate editions: Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus, Agnus Dei
