Mass of the Children
The Mass of the Children ( Children's Mass) is a composition by the English composer John Rutter, which was built between 2002 and 2003 and was premiered in February 2003 at New York's Carnegie Hall. In Germany the work was first performed on October 3, 2004 by choir and children's choir of St. Boniface Wiesbaden under the direction of Gabriel Dessauer.
The text is the same as the Latin Missa brevis, but more poetic texts have been added. The first and last known text was written by Bishop Thomas Ken's Morning and Abendlobliedern for the scholars of Winchester College. These give the " Mass of the Children " the frame of a day, from waking up to falling asleep, appear other texts by William Blake and Lancelot Andrews as one day events or turning points of life between those.
This composition Rutter shows all the strengths of his work: The text and music go together in an ideal manner and classical composition techniques combine with popular harmony. Both melody and harmony in the kidnap Kyrie apparently in the world of musicals and the catchy rhythm in Gloria reminiscent of South American dances. Other predominantly homophonic choral with restrained used fugal inserts and solos give the work a special color and a reflective character.