O Vos Omnes

SSAA or SATB, 4' 45"(2015)

Lent is a time to simplify - whether by removing excesses from one’s life or searching for ways to better one’s self. Much of my work is characterised by density, so with this Lenten work I decided to retreat to the opposite extreme for the sake of simplifying. I chose the “O vos omnes” responsary for this because, while it is a popular text to set, I found its “attention-seeking” nature unusual: “pay attention and look at my sorrow, if there be any sorrow like my sorrow.” I wanted to write a piece that is striking and attention-grabbing through its subtlety and sparsity, and therefore captures the idea and time of Lent for the listener. 

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