Amen, Alleluia (2009)

For SSAATTBB a capella choir:

Duration:  ca. 8 minutes

Premiere: 08.14.2010, by Basilica Choir, Peter Latona, conductor, at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washinton, D.C.

Program Notes: In Amen, Alleluia! I set a text from the book of Revelation that portrays heaven. This was a thrilling piece to compose as I attempted to write out what I imagined the music of angels to sound like… and so this particular composition is simply that—some semblance of what I would expect to hear on the other side…

-DJK

Text (from Revelation 19):

The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down
and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, “Amen. Alleluia.”

A voice coming from the throne said: “Praise our God, all you his servants,
you who revere him, small and great. “
Then I heard something like the sound of a great multitude
or the sound of rushing water or mighty peals of thunder,
as they said: “Alleluia! The Lord has established his reign,
our God, the almighty. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory.
For the wedding day of the Lamb  has come, his bride has made herself ready.

Then the angel said to me, “Write this:
Blessed  are those who have been called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.”

 Hear an excerpt of Amen, Alleluia below: