Veni Sancte Spiritus
Frank J. La Rocca
About this work:
Veni Sancte Spiritus, known as the Golden Sequence, is the sequence for the Mass of Pentecost, in which Christians celebrate the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles, fifty days after the resurrection of Christ at Easter.
My setting reflects two constructive elements in particular: the last line of the next-to-last stanza makes reference to the "sevenfold gifts" of the Holy Spirit, and each line of the poem has precisely seven syllables. Also, each stanza consists of three verses. These numbers were of great spiritual significance to the poem's author and his readers, as the number seven is symbolic of the perfection of God, and the number three reflects the theological concept of the Holy Trinity, of which the Holy Spirit is the third person.
Thus, my use of a pitch language that is limited to the seven notes of an F-aeolian mode and the prevalence of triple meter together weave this symbolism into the very fabric of the music.
The piece was undergoing revisions in summer of 2001, and was completed on September 11, 2001. It contains the postscript, "Requiescant in Pace" - may they rest in peace.
Year composed: 2001
Duration: 00:10:00
Ensemble type: Voice, Solo or With Chamber or Jazz Ensemble:Voice with Chamber/Jazz Ensemble, 2-5 Players
Instrumentation: 1 Clarinet, 2 Violin, 1 Viola, 1 Cello, 1 Soprano
Instrumentation notes: can also be performed by baroque strings with A415 tuning