Three motets

25 August 2024 at Priory Church, Leominster (Herefordshire, England) given by the Choir of Royal Holloway, Alice Neary (cello) and Rupert Gough (cond.)

for Rupert

Like much of my music (and like many composers), I looked to the past for Three Motets. The motet began in the early 13th century as an application of a new text (French mot: “word”) to existing or old music. Often the text was added to the wordless upper-voice parts of descant clausulae. These were short sections of organum, above which were added one, two, or three simultaneous melodies; in descant clausulae, as opposed to other organum, all the voice parts were set in short, repeated rhythmic patterns called rhythmic modes.

Three Motets are reflections on these ‘words’, both old and new. Words that honour scared spaces, celebrate a coming together of people, and the restoration of peace.

This work was commissioned by the Presteigne Festival of Music and the Arts.

-njd.

SATB choir (divisi), violoncello

10’