Agnus Dei cum Jubilo (2025)

Agnus Dei cum Jubilo

This short work is part of a slowly evolving mass for organ - each movement inspired by the original Cum Jubilo plainsong. This one is for the Northern Ireland Organ Competition and I’m greatly looking forward to hearing Andrew Forbes premiere it.

In this piece, sometimes the plainsong is implied as the top line of shifting harmonies or it becomes a high up, ‘celestial’ accompaniment. to something else.

There are references to the other movements in my Mass (although I’ve yet to compose the Sanctus & Benedictus!) especially in the last ‘have mercy on us’, where the scalic passages of my Kyrie Cum Jubilo take on modes from Japan, India, Turkey and Greece to form a global quest for mercy and then peace.

Finally, we hear the plainsong in the bass line (on the pedals) and the ending is one of peaceful jubilation.

RP, 29th January 2025