Da pacem Domine

Da pacem Domine (‘Give peace in our time, O Lord’) is a message that sits at the very heart of faith itself, suitable for any and all liturgical occasions. This setting was born out of the composer’s need to find solace during a period of deep grief. The simplicity of the antiphon’s Latin syntax, particularly the way the alliterative ‘pacem’ (peace) and ‘pugnet’ ([who] fights) draws attention to the synonymity of these opposing forces, became the basis for the gentle, ethereal mood of this setting. Alternating added-note chords rock back and forth like a lullaby, underpinned by a series of sustained, bass pedal points which recur throughout, reassuring and affirming.

The central section’s upward, struggling ‘qui pugnet’ phrases hold no real aggression, but give way to yearning, lamentation figures that contrapuntally cascade to lower registers, before resigning to the calm, homophonic stasis of the final section. An exciting and passionate addition to the Latin motet repertoire for intermediate choirs.