SKU: MN.CH-1220

It was during a short, weekend vacation cruise to Ensenada. B.C. (from Los Angeles) with the St. Cyril Choir that the idea for an Amazing Grace Mass came about. The more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea of writing for chorus and bagpipes.

The early draft used two bagpipes, but when we had a piper come to a rehearsal so that we could see how it would work, it became readily apparent that one piper would be more than enough. It was, in fact, just right. The final form of the piece was achieved by a process of progressive simplification, i.e., the bagpipe part had to be simplified in order for it to be coherent and not just noise. The chorus, needed simplification in order to compete with the sheer volume of the bagpipe during performance. Thus, the piper basically plays the tune Amazing Grace throughout each movement of the Mass, while the chorus sometimes sings the same tune, and sometimes sings uncomplicated lines against the piper melody.

The text is the full Proper of the Roman Catholic Mass in Latin.