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Dona Nobis Pacem: A Cantata for Soprano and Baritone Soli, Chorus and Orchestra
for soprano and baritone soloists, SATB, and full orchestra or string orchestra with piano
Drawing upon the Bible, sections from the Mass, and poems by Walt Whitman, this is a powerful musical evocation of the destruction and death brought about through war and violence, with an overarching message of peace and reconciliation. It was composed in 1936, a time when war was threatening to engulf Europe once again, and the title, which translates as 'Give us peace', is as relevant now as it was when the work was premiered in 1936. Featuring some of the composer's most potent music (both serene and violent), it makes an affecting plea. Materials for the full orchestra version and an accompaniment for strings and piano are available on hire.
Drawing upon the Bible, sections from the Mass, and poems by Walt Whitman, this is a powerful musical evocation of the destruction and death brought about through war and violence, with an overarching message of peace and reconciliation. It was composed in 1936, a time when war was threatening to engulf Europe once again, and the title, which translates as 'Give us peace', is as relevant now as it was when the work was premiered in 1936. Featuring some of the composer's most potent music (both serene and violent), it makes an affecting plea. Materials for the full orchestra version and an accompaniment for strings and piano are available on hire.
68 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1964
3 people want to read
About the author
Ralph Vaughan Williams
430 books6 followersRalph Vaughan Williams OM was an English composer. His works include operas, ballets, chamber music, secular and religious vocal pieces and orchestral compositions including nine symphonies, written over sixty years. Strongly influenced by Tudor music and English folk-song, his output marked a decisive break in British music from its German-dominated style of the 19th century.
Vaughan Williams was born to a well-to-do family with strong moral views and a progressive social outlook. Throughout his life he sought to be of service to his fellow citizens, and believed in making music as available as possible to everybody. He wrote many works for amateur and student performance. He was musically a late developer, not finding his true voice until his late thirties; his studies in 1907–1908 with the French composer Maurice Ravel helped him clarify the textures of his music and free it from Teutonic influences.
Vaughan Williams is among the best-known English symphonists, noted for his very wide range of moods, from stormy and impassioned to tranquil, from mysterious to exuberant. Among the most familiar of his other concert works are Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis (1910) and The Lark Ascending (1914). His vocal works include hymns, folk-song arrangements and large-scale choral pieces. He wrote eight works for stage performance between 1919 and 1951. Although none of his operas became popular repertoire pieces, his ballet Job: A Masque for Dancing (1930) was successful and has been frequently staged.
Vaughan Williams was born to a well-to-do family with strong moral views and a progressive social outlook. Throughout his life he sought to be of service to his fellow citizens, and believed in making music as available as possible to everybody. He wrote many works for amateur and student performance. He was musically a late developer, not finding his true voice until his late thirties; his studies in 1907–1908 with the French composer Maurice Ravel helped him clarify the textures of his music and free it from Teutonic influences.
Vaughan Williams is among the best-known English symphonists, noted for his very wide range of moods, from stormy and impassioned to tranquil, from mysterious to exuberant. Among the most familiar of his other concert works are Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis (1910) and The Lark Ascending (1914). His vocal works include hymns, folk-song arrangements and large-scale choral pieces. He wrote eight works for stage performance between 1919 and 1951. Although none of his operas became popular repertoire pieces, his ballet Job: A Masque for Dancing (1930) was successful and has been frequently staged.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
January 31, 2025
This masterwork by Ralph Vaughan Williams intertwines traditional Latin texts, poetry by Walt Whitman and John Bright, and various Biblical excerpts to achieve a piece that is truly unique and powerful. Vaughan Williams's music and selected texts are expertly paired to represent the dichotomy between war and peace. Each section seamlessly melts into the next with no discernible breaks in between: from the soprano's haunting and legato opening of the Agnus Dei to the bombastic and percussive "Beat! beat! drums! in the 2nd section. (For example)
Possibly my favorite example of musical text painting occurs in section III: Reconciliation-
"Word over all, beautiful as the sky,
Beautiful that war and all its deeds of carnage must in time be utterly lost,
That the hands of the sisters Death and Night incessantly, softly, wash again and ever again this
soiled world;
For my enemy is dead, a man divine as myself is dead,
I look where he lies white-faced and still in the coffin - I draw near,
Bend down and touch lightly with my lips the white face in the coffin."
~Walt Whitman
After a musical tug-of-war between lightness and darkness, light prevails with a resounding setting of
"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good-will toward men."
Before the satisfying and beautiful apotheosis of the piece with the return of
Dona nobis pacem. Bookended with the solo soprano voice.
I've added Leaves of Grass to my reading list to explore more of Walt Whitman's poetry.
Possibly my favorite example of musical text painting occurs in section III: Reconciliation-
"Word over all, beautiful as the sky,
Beautiful that war and all its deeds of carnage must in time be utterly lost,
That the hands of the sisters Death and Night incessantly, softly, wash again and ever again this
soiled world;
For my enemy is dead, a man divine as myself is dead,
I look where he lies white-faced and still in the coffin - I draw near,
Bend down and touch lightly with my lips the white face in the coffin."
~Walt Whitman
After a musical tug-of-war between lightness and darkness, light prevails with a resounding setting of
"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good-will toward men."
Before the satisfying and beautiful apotheosis of the piece with the return of
Dona nobis pacem. Bookended with the solo soprano voice.
I've added Leaves of Grass to my reading list to explore more of Walt Whitman's poetry.
Displaying 1 of 1 review