April 1999, saw the première in Pittsburgh of the play 'Candle Dancing' by
Coni Ciongoli-Koepfinger along with my substantial score for the play.
Billed as a 'medieval musical drama', 'Candle Dancing' called for an
on-stage sung Requiem mass which developed into a striking finale which was
to be sung and danced. To link the disparate numbers, I used the haunting
plainchant Introit from the Requiem Mass, which supplied source material
for all the movements. The score for the play won a commendation in the
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Critics Pick of the year for 1999.
Understandably, the sung Requiem mass had to be quite brief and I decided
to re-work it for liturgical use, adding the missing movements. The
decision to add a setting of the Dies Irae meant that the work developed
into a substantial concert work. The work is dedicated to Robert Buttimore,
a friend who died during the final months of composition in Autumn 1999.
The Introit opens with the first four notes of the plainchant Introit. The
Introit, Kyrie, Sanctus and Agnus Dei are all developed from the plainchant
Introit. Though scored for unaccompanied four-part choir, a soprano solo is
used at critical moments to soar over the choir.
The Dies Irae is based on the traditional plainchant Dies Irae, and sets
all 24 verses of the poem. Initially the plainchant is sung by the basses
and alternating verses are embellished by the choir. Gradually the choir
unravels and develops the plainchant until by the end of the piece, its
presence is barely felt. The piece concludes with a re-statement of the
final words 'Pie Jesu?' to the original plainchant.
Robert Hugill