Pie Jesu/AgnusDei

A Requiem or Requiem Mass is also known as Mass of the Dead or Mass for the Dead. In 1983 Andrew Lloyd Webber did his own version of Requiem in memory of his father. The Andrew Lloyd Webber  version combines the text of the Pie Jesu with that of the Agnus Dei's. With this style, Webber showed that he can be versatile. His works are famous for their melody and pop-oriented style, to name a few, Phantom of the Opera, Evita, and Cats.

Pie Jesu, (4x)
Qui tollis peccata mundi.
Dona eis requiem.(2x)
Agnus Dei (4x)
Qui tollis peccata mundi,
Dona eis requiem.
Sempiternam. (4x)

English translation:
Merciful Jesus,
Who takes away the sins of the world.
Grant them rest.
Lamb of God,
Who takes away the sins of the world,
Grant them rest.
Everlasting.

I used to work in a hospital where the administrator is a devout Catholic. She would play classical music on the PA and so we were no strangers to the Kireis, Pie Jesus, Glorias, Agnus Deis, Misereres, Orapronobises, and the like. There were also daily Masses and on holy days of obligations, she will request our choir to sing High Mass hymns. Masses will run thirty minutes more than the usual time they should take, but people came out of the chapel uplifted and renewed.

As I now listen to Celtic Woman's version, I am reliving how those people might had felt then. Lyn and Chloe's vocals were just the right blend, and Mairead's fiddling  pinches you in the heart. These ladies are soaring and they are professionals! You could just imagine how many times more I am uplifted. I will end this post as I leave you with our pride and joy, Lea Salonga, as she sings with tenor Daniel Rodriguez. She is into Broadway musicals but her powerful rendition should put the angels in heaven to a halt.

Chloe Agnew of Celtic Woman

Lea Salonga