Missa Brevis: 1. Kyrie eleison

I first started this Kyrie a year and a half ago and did a lil draft of me singing it into the computer 😀  I don’t think at that time I was even thinking of it being a Real Thing sung by a Real Choir; it was a slightly spur of the moment thing experimenting with simplicity, drones, FIFTHS and Lydian mode — very very loosely inspired by a tiny of Icelandic music I’d heard (the Lydian and the fifths!)  But I did write the rest of the mass setting and then to my delight our conductor asked “so do you have anything else for us to sing?” and we rehearsed it this term.  I am so so pleased with how it eventually turned out, especially in the acoustic of the church where we performed.  Everything I could have hoped for.  (I’m on here!  Singing the drone :D)

This is just very very meditative — the same thing cycles around with slight variation a total of seven times — I think the influence of Pärt and holy minimalism is even clearer in another movement but that’s the sort of mood here for sure.  I love being part of this group, I love writing for women’s voices and I love absorbing influences from our mostly medieval repertoire.

Kyrie eleison (Κύριε ἐλέησον)
Lord, have mercy
Christe eleison (Χριστέ ἐλέησον)
Christ, have mercy