Description

My composition Missa in honorem Beati Hemmingi Episcopi Op. 1 (Mass "Blessed Hemming" is a Latin mass suitable as well for concerts as for the liturgical use of the Catholic Church. I wanted to dedicate it to the memory of Blessed Finnish Bishop Hemming. Hemming served as bishop of Turku in the 14th century and was an important person in our country. He was also a close friend of Saint Birgitta of Sweden.

Like any traditional Mass, the composition has five movements: Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus and Agnus Dei. My late romantic work is much influenced by the music of Johannes Brahms, but also by the music of the earlier romantics as well as baroque and renaissance composers. The Mass is cyclical in form, meaning that the same themes and subjects are repeated in different parts. In Kyrie, Gloria and Agnus Dei I have used various traditional polyphonic techniques such as fugue, fugato and double canon. Credo and Sanctus are more homophonic and romantic in style.

In my Mass, I want to support the experience of holiness and mysticism through the traditional form. Especially in the Credo, I also sometimes describe the events mentioned in this particular prayer, i.e. especially the text of the Christian confession of faith, especially the suffering and resurrection of Jesus.

I started writing the mass in 2012. The work progressed slowly, mainly because many of the polyphonic techniques I used were difficult for me and I had never composed such a large piece. In the following years, also my second and third children were born, and I had little time to compose. By 2020, I had written first versions of three movements and sketched others.

When all my concerts as a pianist were cancelled due to the corona pandemic, I had more time to invest in composing. I worked on my Mass under the guidance of Dresden professor Matthias Drude and finally also orchestrated it. The first versions had been for choir without accompaniment, the following versions for choir and organ. I wrote numerous versions of all the movements before they took their final form. The composition was completed at the end of 2020.

Instrumentation

chx, org, str

Category

Vocal and Choral Works, Works for Orchestra or Large Ensemble

Language

La

Opus no.

op. 1

Premiere

On August 13, 2022, at 11 a.m., Missa in honorem Beati Hemmingi Episcopi was premiered at the Diocesan Feast of the Catholic Church of Finland in Turku Cathedral. The performers were St. Michel Strings, Suomen Laulu choir and organist Pilvi Listo-Tervaportti. The music was conducted by Esko Kallio.

Movements

1. Kyrie, 2. Gloria, 3. Credo, 4. Sanctus, 5. Agnus Dei

Commisioned by / dedications

Dedicated to Pilvi Listo-Tervaportti

PDF for promotional use

 Download

Archive number

MF35824

+ Add information