It was such a privilege to work so many amazing young singers with the Montgomery County Youth Chorus of Montgomery County, Maryland. This high-quality group of auditioned singers did a phenomenal job in doing this piece justice.
Score available for purchase at the link below. Available in SATB, SAB, TTBB, SSAA, SSA: www.jwpepper.com/Dies-Irae/11560714.item
The Dies Irae text has been set to music by composers for hundreds of years. It is a staple in the world of choral repertoire. I have long sought to set the text to my own interpretation for years but always ended up side lining it because I never found the true sound of what I wanted to say, until this main motif finally spoke to me. It explores traditional writing of parallelism while incorporating modern twists in the metric modulations. This original version of Dies Irae provides not only an accessible way for ensembles to build their strength, but also as a study piece in multiple facets of mixed meter with incredibly challenging rhythmic passages that when performed in sync create a truly unique understanding of the music.