<<< back to A World Requiem performance page <<<
Text for John Foulds’
A World Requiem
Part One
1 Requiem (chorus, baritone)
Requiem aeternam.
Lord, grant them rest eternal,
Grant them, Lord, Thy rest.
All those who have fallen in battle,
All who have perished by pestilence and famine,
Men of all countries who died for their cause,
Lord, grant them rest eternal.
And Thy light perpetual
Shine down upon them, Lord.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me.
Requiem aeternam.
Lord, grant them rest eternal.
2 Pronuntatio (chorus, baritone)
The heathen raged,
The kingdoms were moved.
He uttered His voice,
The earth melted.
He maketh war to cease unto the end of the earth;
He breaketh the bow
And cutteth spear in sunder;
He burneth the chariot with fire;
God is our refuge and strength.
He saith: 'Be still and know that I am God.'
The earth mourneth, the world languisheth,
But the Lord will destroy the face of the covering cast over all people
And the veil spread over all nations.
He will swallow up death in victory.
He saith:'Be still and know that I am God.'
He has scattered the nations that delight in war.
Nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
Neither shall they learn war any more.
Violence shall no more be heard in thy land;
Wasting nor destruction within thy borders.
But Thou shalt call salvation
And Thy gates thou shalt call Praise.
He saith: 'Be still and know that I am God.'
3 Confessio (baritone)
Lo! Lo! This is God;
This is the Lord.
This is God;
This is the Lord.
God: Omnipotent, Immutable,
Omniscient, Eternal;
Alpha and Omega;
Creator, Almighty God the Lord.
He is Knowledge and Wisdom and Pow'r;
He is Justice and Truth;
He is Faithfulness and Mercy;
God is Light.
He is gracious and gentle; the Comforter:
He is Vision and Magic and Beauty;
God is Love.
We have waited for Him.
We have come out of great tribulation
And have endured grievous distress.
Many have been led away captive,
Many have fallen.
For these things I weep.
Yet the Lord delivered us,
Yea, the Lord delivered us.
He will wipe away tears from all faces.
We will be glad and rejoice
We will rejoice in His salvation.
4 Jubilatio (boys' chorus, chorus)
Praise Him.
Blessed art Thou. O Lord the God of our fathers,
Blessed is the holy name of Thy glory.
Blessed is the temple of Thy glory;
Blessed art Thou on the throne of Thy Kingdom,
And exceedingly to be praised.
And exceedingly glorious forever;
Thou that beholdest the depths,
Thou that sittest above the Cherubim.
Exalted, glorified, exceedingly.
Blessed forever.
Praise and exalt Him above all forever.
Blessed art Thou in the firmament of heaven.
Blessed the holy name of Thy glory.
Blessed art Thou on the throne of Thy Kingdom.
And exceedingly glorious forever.
Thou that sittest above the Cherubim.
Exalted, glorified, exceedingly,
And call Him blessed forever.
Praise and exalt Him above all forever.
All ye works of the Lord
(Bless the Lord)
O ye heavens, O ye stars of heaven,
O ye spirits:
O all ye powers: O ye angels:
O ye sun and moon:
Ev'ry show'r and dew:
Fire and heat, ice and cold:
Light and darkness, night and day;
Praise the Lord, praise and exalt Him,
O ye mountains; O ye fountains;
O ye rivers, O ye priests: O ye servants of the Lord;
Praise and exalt Him above all forever.
Now proclaim ye His words;
Cry aloud unto all,
(The God of glory thundereth, hear ye these words and obey.)
Make proclamation unto all His peoples,
Hear ye His words and do them.
5 Audite (baritone)
Give ear, all ye nations of the world!
Give ear, all ye peoples of the earth!
Ye people of North!
You Greenlander, Kamschatkan, Laplander;
You Norwegian, Russian, Icelander!
Let the peace of God rest in your hearts.
Ye people of South!
You Australian, New Zealander, Tasmanian;
You African, Roman, Abyssinian, Greek!
'Have peace one with another, follow peace with all men.'
Ye people of West!
You Canadian, Californian, Brazilian;
You Missourian, Texan, Patagonian, Mexican!
Be of one mind, live in peace
And the God of love and peace shall be with you.
Ye people of East!
You Hindu, Buddhist, Parsi, Mohammedan;
You Chinaman, Tartar, Armenian, Japanese!
Live peaceably with all men,
Keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace,
You men of all the continents!
Be at peace among yourselves, follow peace with all men.
For the Prince of Peace cometh,
And he will speak peace to His people.
He will give light to them that sit in darkness
And in the shadow of death,
He will guide our feet into the ways of peace.
6 Pax (boys' chorus, soprano)
Peace.
Peace I leave with you,
My peace I give unto you,
Let not your hearts be troubled.
Love another as I have loved you,
And the Peace of God which passeth all understanding
Shall keep your hearts and minds through
Christ Jesus.
And ye shall go out with joy,
And be led forth with peace,
And return with singing,
And everlasting joy shall be on your head:
Ye shall obtain both joy and gladness,
And sorrow and mourning shall flee away.
Glorious shall be thy reward.
And they when Thou mournest the Lord hath lifted up from the gates of death,
And though they passed with sorrowing and with tribulation.
Now they are glad because they are quiet,
So he bringeth them unto their desired haven.
Peace through Christ Jesus.
Let not your hearts be troubled, etc.
7 Consolatio (mezzo-soprano)
The Lord is nigh unto them that are of broken heart
And none of them that trust in Him shall be desolate.
Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord,
For they rest from their labours.
The Lord gave and the Lord taketh away.
Blessed be the name of the Lord.
Weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning.
Weep ye not for the dead, neither bemoan him
Sorrow not concerning them which are asleep.
For the hour is coming and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God
And they that hear shall live.
He saith: 'I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you.
Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.'
Yea, the Lord is nigh unto them.
O why mourn ye?
Weep ye not for the dead,
Sorrow not concerning them, weep not, sorrow not.
'Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.'
8 Refutatio (baritone)
O death, where is thy sting?
O grave, where is thy victory?
Awake, thou that sleepest,
And arise from the dead,
And Christ shall give thee Light.
9 Lux veritatis (boys' chorus)
I am the Light of the World,
The light that lighteneth every man that cometh into the world,
The resurrection and the life.
He that believeth in me, though he were dead,
Yet shall he live.
Lux veritatis.
10 Requiem (mezzo-soprano, baritone, boys' chorus, chorus)
Light perpetual
Shine down upon them,
Lux veritatis.
Grant them rest.
Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord.
For Christ shall give them Light.
Though they were dead, yet shall they live,
And they rest from their labours.
I am the Light of the World.
I will come to you.
Requiem aeternam.
Lord grant them rest eternal. Amen.
Part two
11 laudamus (soprano, chorus)
Compass me about with songs of deliverance.
Praise the Lord with a loud noise.
Blow upon the trumpet.
Let the sea make a noise;
Let the floods clap their hands;
O let the hills be joyful.
Alleluia, the Lord God reigneth.
Let us be glad and rejoice, the Lord our God reigneth.
He hath delivered our souls from death;
He healeth the broken heart.
Praise the Lord with harp and shawm,
With tabret and [the] like sing.
He hath delivered us,
He hath delivered our feet from falling.
God hath delivered our souls from death.
Great is the Lord our God
Alike in Earth and Heav'n.
It is like the voice of a great multitude;
It is like the sounds of many waters
And as it were a great thunder.
Praise Him upon the strings and pipes.
Praise Him upon the loud cymbals.
Sing a new song before the throne.
Shout unto God.
Praise ye Him, all ye angels.
Praise ye Him, all His hosts.
Shout unto God with a voice of triumph,
For He is King of Kings.
12 Elysium (soprano, tenor, women's voices)
Holy, Elysium.
There is a land where no sorrow nor doubt have rule,
Where the terror of death is no more.
There the woods are abloom
And fragrant scent is borne on the wind.
There all the gardens and groves and bow'rs are abounding in blossom.
Sorrow is no more,
The terror of death is no more.
The sea of blue spreads in the sky,
The air breaks forth into ripples of joy.
A million suns are ablaze with light.
Holy, Elysium.
The fever of life is stilled,
All stains are washed away.
It is the land of Beulah
Beyond the delectable mountains,
The abode of the blessed.
13 In pace (tenor, soprano, men's voices)
I hear the voice of the dead speaking from before the Throne of God.
Their ears are deaf to sounds of earthly sorrow,
From their eyes the tears are wiped away,
They look upon the Throne of God.
They have stepped into the sea of glass like unto crystal
And behold the radiance of a million wings.
They hear the eternal music of a million suns.
Absent from the body they are present with the Lord,
For underneath are the everlasting Arms.
These are they which came out of the great tribulation.
They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Therefore are they before the Throne of God
And serve him day and night in His temple.
Hymn of the Redeemed
The Father hath redeemed us.
The Father hath delivered us.
He hath delivered us from the pow'r of darkness.
Jesus our Saviour hath ransomed us,
He hath redeemed us.
Be not afraid, fear not.
We take our rest. Amen.
And hath translated us into the Kingdom of His dear Son,
Be not afraid, fear not.
He giveth His beloved.
Rest. Amen.
And underneath are the everlasting Arms.
14 Angeli (tenor, soprano, chorus, boys' chorus)
Behold, under the firmament are the
Cherubim and the Seraphim
And the noise of their wings is as the noise of great waters.
And I hear the voice of angels round about the Throne
And the number of them is ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands.
They are the Angels of the Lord,
His elect angels.
They are the Stewards of the Mysteries of God,
The elect angels.
His ministers, His angels that do His commandments.
And he giveth His angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways.
They are the angels of the Lord that do His commandments.
15 Vox Dei (tenor, soprano, chorus)
And behold above the firmament is the likeness of a Throne.
A brightness as the colour of amber art as the appearance of a rainbow of fire,
And a cloud of glory shineth round about within it.
This is the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord
Before whom the Seraphim ever veil their faces.
And behold out of the fiery cloud a voice saying:
'This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Hear ye Him.'
Hear, O Heavens, and give ear, O Earth,
For the Lord hath spoken.
16 Adventus (tenor, mezzo-soprano, chorus)
And behold hereafter ye shall see heav'n open,
And the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man,
And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon,
And upon the earth distress of nations with perplexity and great tribulation
And the sea and the waves roaring
And the pow'rs of heav'n shall be shaken.
Then shalt thou see the Son of Man
Coming in the clouds of the heav'ns with pow'r and with great glory,
And the Holy angels with Him,
His Holy angels that excel in strength that do His commandments.
Yea, every eye shall see him,
Yea, thine eyes shall see the King in His beauty.
Be ye patient; for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.
Every eye shall see the King in His beauty.
Holy.
17 Vigilate (baritone)
Watch ye, therefore, lest coming suddenly
He finds you sleeping.
Watch! For the Son of Man cometh at an hour when ye think not.
Be ye therefore ready, be ye patient.
Watch! Watch! For blessed are those servants whom the Lord,
When He cometh, shall find watching,
Yea, blessed are they.
Watch ye, therefore, for the Lord hath said ...
18 Promissio et invocatio (soprano, mezzosoprano, tenor, baritone)
'Surely I come quickly
And thou shalt know that I am the Lord thy Saviour
And thy redeemer.
I am the redeemer.
I am the bright and morning star.
Behold, I make all things new.
I will come to you and your hearts shall rejoice,
Your sorrow shall be turned into joy.
And I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me.
I will ransom them, I will redeem them,
O grave, I will be thy destruction.
Yea, because I live, ye shall live also.
Ye shall have eternal life.
I have overcome the world,
I have abolished death,
I am the Light of the World.'
Our Saviour hath abolished death.
Through Him we have eternal life.
He is the Truth. He is the Life.
He hath overcome the world,
Praise Him, praise His holy name.
He is the Light of the World.
From out the chalice of His heart wells forth love divine.
For this is the promise He hath promised us
From the foundation of the world:
'I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh.'
Amen.
Blessed be the King,
Praise Him,
Praise His holy name.
For he hath said:
'Yea surely I will come to you.'
Amen.
Even so, come Lord Christ.
19 Benedictio
He hath blessed us,
God the living, loving Father.
From Whom all blessing flows
20 Consummatus (soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, baritone, choruses)
He hath blessed us, etc.
In Whom with Christ and the Holy Spirit
We are at peace for ever more.
Alleluia.