This work was written in 1971. The text is derived from the Latin Requiem Mass treated as a kind of sacred poem rather than a liturgical text and the order of sections is much altered. The work derives principally from the opening piano harmonies and the soprano's initial melodic lines - the latter which have an affinity (not least in rhythmic accentuation) with certain aspects of plainchant combine with the piano chords and embellishments to produce a serial reservoir of material is used fairly strictly even in seemingly freer sections. The form is arch-like the opening material returning substantially altered at the end with as the work's centre a scherzo-likeSanctus introduced and punctuated by chords derived in lay-out from bell sounds. The work was written in memory of Alan Rawsthorne and Sir John Barbirolli and was first performed at the Wigmore Hall in 1979 by Jane Manning and Richard Rodney Bennett.

Edited with additional material from the Salzburg version“In Italy nowadays this term (motet) is applied to a Latin sacred solo cantata consisting of two arias and two recitatives concluding with an Hallelujah and sung during the Mass following the Credo generally by one of the best singers.” One composition matching this description is the solo motet Exsultate jubilate K. 165/158a which Mozart wrote in Milan early in 1773 following the highly successful performance of his opera Lucio Silla.In 1978 when the music manuscripts in Bavaria were being sorted and cataloged in a project sponsored by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft a set ofmanuscript parts for a previously unknown second version was discovered in the town parish church of St. Jakob in Wasserburg am Inn. The music and text of the concluding Alleluja movement were written out by the Salzburg court bassoonist and copyist Joseph Richard Estlinger (c. 1720–1791) who frequently worked for Mozart and his father.The vocal text of this Salzburg manuscript departs from that of the Milan version in the first aria and in the recitative. It was entered in a different hand. The Salzburg version of the text is clearly related to the feast of the Holy Trinity. There is much evidence that this version was sung for the first time in the Dreifaltigkeitskirche on 30 May 1779 (i. e. Trinity Sunday) by the Salzburg male soprano Francesco Ceccarelli during a service mentioned by Nannerl Mozart. On that day Leopold and Wolfgang Mozart together with Ceccarelli were invited to the church’s vicarage at midday. The additional text underlaying of the first aria enabled the solo motet to be employed for the Christmas service as well.- Urtext of the New Mozart Edition- Full score performance material (BA4897) and vocal score (BA4897-90) available for sale

(Includes 2 CDs)-This is among the most widely used teaching repertoire for singers in the U.S. Over 30 songs are featured in each book including American and British art songs folk song arrangements sacred songs and a sampling of beginningsongs in German Italian Spanish and French. There is a completely different song selection for each voice type. This book includes access to online audio.