Lament – Stabat Mater
The World premiere performance of Karl Jenkins’ Stabat Mater took place on March 15th 2008 in Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral, performed by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir conducted by the composer.
Stabat Mater is a 13th Century Roman Catholic poem attributed to Jacopone da Todi. Its title is an abbreviation of the first line, Stabat mater dolorosa (‘The sorrowful mother was standing’). This text, one of the most powerful and immediate of medieval poems, meditates on the suffering of Mary, Jesus Christ’s mother, during his crucifixion.
It has been set to music by many composers, among them Haydn, Dvořák, Vivaldi, Rossini, Pergolesi, Gounod, Penderecki, Poulenc Szymanowski, Alessandro Scarlatti, Domenico Scarlatti and Verdi.
Here we have Lament; a beautiful movement from Karl’s setting of Stabat Mater in an arrangement for euphonium and brass band made with the composer’s blessing for euphonium soloist David Childs.
This version can be heard on the Doyen CD Moto Perpetuo performed by David Childs and the Cory Band.