Anima Christi

More Information

The music for Anima Christi first was conceived as a section of the fourth movement of my first string quartet.  I later altered and reconstructed that music as the first of my “Seven Short Studies for String Orchestra”.  During the summer of 2008, I realized that this same music could find even new light in a choral setting. After searching for a text, I settled on the first line of the ancient Latin prayer “Anima Christi”:

Anima Christi, sanctifica me. (Soul of Christ, sanctify me.)

Not only did the text seem to fit the feeling of the music, but the rhythm and number of syllables fit perfectly.

I would like to point out, in case you haven’t noticed, the similarities between this work and Samuel Barber’s famous “Adagio”, which began as a movement of his string quartet, then later was arranged for string orchestra and still later arranged for choir as an “Agnus Dei”.  All I will say is that some of the similarities are a direct result of this piece’s influence on me, while other aspects are entirely coincidental.     

3rd Prize, 1st H. M. Gorecki International Composers Competition 2012 (Krakow, Poland)

Premiered August 15, 2012 in Krakow, Poland by the Silesian Philharmonic Choir, Michel Kwiatkowski-conductor.

Purchase Scores

Scores of this piece are available for purchase by contacting me.