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How ironic then, that I combine a sacred text with a war theme. The irony is, of course, misleading as I only wish to express the ireconcilability of the two. The only victory I choose to express is a victory over war altogether. For these reasons, Requiem in Bello is secular as I use it to express frustrations with the world around me. However, it is sacred as I use it as a series of prayers. Prayer for mercy for those who have lost their lives, prayer for peaceful resolution, and a call heard so often in the many settings of the mass: Dona nobis pacem, or “grant us peace.”

Considering the band repertoire that I am here contributing to, the work is extremely large. Each movement could potentially be a work by itself. Each movement also serves its own independent purpose and may vary somewhat drastically in style and mood. For the sake of unity in the work, I use a recurring chord progression of C minor, F Major, D minor, and E Major, as well as any chromatic transposition of this progression. If you notice, when played in succession, the chord progression is 12-tone, without repeating a single chromatic pitch. The Requiem treats this progression very differently and with much more freedom than the serialist style though.

In the Introitus I construct the phrases from the Latin text as though they should be sung and I give each stanza considerably more time than in the other movements. The first stanza has the most obviously Romantic qualities to it, something I find necessary for such a dramatic text. The second stanza, however, sounds almost reminiscent of Renaissance polyphony; however the counterpoint ends on dissonances. For the third stanza I constructed counterpoint from the previously mentioned chord progression before returning to the first stanza, just as the text suggests. Rather than offer finality with a loud closing chord, I use only percussion to keep a certain level of agitation that hopefully keeps the audience wanting more.

The Kyrie is actually an expanded form of one of my choral works, commissioned by St. Augustine 's Catholic Church in Gainesville , Fl. From the moment I completed the work, I knew I wanted to include it in an instrumental setting and found it highly appropriate for this work. This movement does not make use of the previously mentioned chord progression. I include extra sounds in the Kyrie such as a Tibetan singing bowl on a timpani head to convey a mulit-cultural sense of prayer.

The Dies Irae's text is the most apocalyptic of the whole Latin text. While Roman Catholic interpretation of apocalyptic literature is highly figurative, I decided to maintain the aggressive tone of this type of writing in the music. I combine the text with the Biblical book of Revelation and its picture of seven angels sounding seven trumpets initializing seven judgments. For this purpose I have seven distinct trumpet entrances, each time adding another solo trumpet to the ensemble. I find this text appropriate since John, the book's author, composed the text also during war time, possibly reflecting his frustration with world politics. For this movement I use the chord progression throughout its entirety and progress through all twelve chromatic transpositions.

The Lux aeterna is somewhat minimal in harmonic content. It is in ternary form with key centers only alternating between D major and b minor. I offer this movement as a passive reflection on the “Requiem” theme of the first movement. This movement ends with an “Amen” where I use the chimes that introduce the thematic material at the beginning of the movement to close with what sounds like church bells ringing. I can only hope this conveys a sense of peace in the listener after the turmoil of the Dies irae. Soli Deo Gloria.

-Robert Chastain