An American Requiem (1993)  

Music by James DeMars -

    An American Requiem was commissioned in 1992 by the Art Renaissance Foundation. Composed by ASU professor James DeMars, it premiered at Phoenix Symphony Hall in January, 1994 with the ASU soloists and choirs. 

    The Requiem (meaning "rest in peace" in Latin) is a musical form that originated in France in the mid-1400s, based on the much more ancient Gregorian "Mass for the Dead" tradition. When secular choirs and musical instruments were accepted in church, it seemed natural to take advantage of the potential they offered to craft special musical homage to departed royals and kings. The sequence of hymns and the accompanying lyrics in Latin were completely defined by the beginning of the 16th century. From then until the turn of the 21st century, approximately 1600 Requiem (there's no plural form) were composed, mostly in Western Europe. Among the most notable Requiem composers are Mozart, Cherubini, Donizetti, Verdi, Fauré, Brahms, Gounod, Saint-Saens, Britten, Duruflé. Brahms's "A German Requiem" (1880) is the first one based on Protestant liturgy.

     "An American Requiem" includes the traditional form and lyrics, which is essentially a narrative of the Last Judgment — and a number of original parts that recognize the specific and diverse identity of the American people. It was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in Music in 1996 by Dr. Norman Scribner. "An American Requiem" received dedications from the President of the United States, 34 state governors, two foreign heads of state and three Nobel Peace Prize recipients.