Lent is a time to simplify - whether by removing excesses from one’s life or searching for ways to better one’s self. Much of my work is characterised by density, so with this piece I decided to try the opposite extreme for the sake of simplifying. I chose the “O vos omnes” responsary for this because, while it is a popular text to set, I found its “attention-seeking” nature unusual: “pay attention and look at my sorrow, if there be any sorrow like my sorrow.” I wanted to write a piece that attracts as little attention to itself as possible through its subtlety and sparsity, and therefore is striking to the listener in a way that captures the idea and time of Lent. Hear it, See it, and Buy it on MusicSpoke. http://musicspoke.com/downloads/o-vos-omnes-2
