Performed by Mosel Voices, conducted by Dafydd Bullock, 
with Soprano Solo: Danièle Patz 
Organ: Adrien Theato

Available from the i-Tunes store

Requiem for Jan Palach

Opus 182, Luxembourg, 2008

This Requiem was commissioned by the Czech Embassy in Luxembourg, written in July, 2008, premiered on January 29th, 2009 and recorded on February 12th, 2009 at St Martin’s Church in Dudelange, Luxembourg. It does not offer visions of sanctity, paradise and redemption. Nor is it a celebration of life, or death. By adding to some of the traditional Latin text mighty lines from Jan Hus (some of which are inscribed on his monument in the Old Town Square in Prague), some graffiti which appeared, very briefly, on the Wenceslas Monument just after Jan Palach’s death, and which were rapidly removed, and other words from the Prague of 1968 and 1969 as well as Article One of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the music seeks to confront the horror of a despairing suicide, the smell of petrol and burning flesh and desperation in the face of overwhelming political brutality. 

Traditional consolation (in the shape, here, of two quotations from the sweetest of Requiems, that of Gabriel Fauré) is irrelevant, and thus violently dispensed with. Eternal Light is replaced by the incandescence of flames. Enduring values are sought. The hope implied by ethical statements is subordinated to the vital necessity of remembering. 

The music is tonal, despite dissonance, and cyclical. Themes and motifs recur, particularly an organ phrase which seeks to evoke rising heat and flame. At times anguished, the music resolves into stable tonalities associated with enduring ethical concepts. In other places the treatment is almost bucolic, and perhaps with a feel of Bohemia. There is a place for innocence.

It has been an honour to write this work, in memory of Jan Palach and of the others who suffered, protested and fought for us all in Prague.

Performed by Mosel Voices, conducted by Dafydd Bullock, 
with Soprano Solo: Danièle Patz 
Organ: Adrien Theato

Available from the i-Tunes store

Requiem for Jan Palach 1

Opus 182, Luxembourg, 2008

2: The Ten Commandments of Prague
      
You don't know anything: 
You don't take care of anything: 
You don't know: You don't care: 
You don't tell anything: 
You don't have anything: 
You don't know how: 
You don't know: You don't tell: 
You don't give anything: 
You can't do anything: 
You don't sell anything: 
You don't show anything: 
You don't do anything: 
You don't know anything:

Performed by Mosel Voices, conducted by Dafydd Bullock, 
with Soprano Solo: Danièle Patz 
Organ: Adrien Theato

Available from the i-Tunes store

Requiem for Jan Palach 2

Opus 182, Luxembourg, 2008

Libera me, Domine, de morte aeterna, 
in die illa tremenda, 
Quando coelli movendi sunt, et terra: 
Dum veneris judicare saeculum per ignem.
Tremens factus sum ego, et …

Requiem aeternam dona eis Domine:  
Requiem aeternam lux perpetua 

Performed by Mosel Voices, conducted by Dafydd Bullock, 
with Soprano Solo: Danièle Patz 
Organ: Adrien Theato

Available from the i-Tunes store
Requiem aeternam dona eis Domine:  
Requiem aeternam lux perpetua 


Requiem for Jan Palach 3

Opus 182, Luxembourg, 2008

Reflections Upon Civil Disobedience: Organ Solo

Performed by Mosel Voices, conducted by Dafydd Bullock, 
with Soprano Solo: Danièle Patz 
Organ: Adrien Theato

Available from the i-Tunes store

Requiem for Jan Palach 4

Opus 182, Luxembourg, 2008

Article One

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. 
They are endowed with reason and conscience 
and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Performed by Mosel Voices, conducted by Dafydd Bullock, 
with Soprano Solo: Danièle Patz 
Organ: Adrien Theato

Available from the i-Tunes store

Requiem for Jan Palach 5

Opus 182, Luxembourg, 2008

Chorale

Ktož jsú boží bojovnící a zákona jeho, 
prostež od boha pomoci a úfajte v něho 
že konečně vždycky s ním zvítězíte.  
(Requiem aeternam)

Kristus vám za škody stojí stokrát viec slibuje, 
pakli kdo proč život složí, věčný mieti bude, 
blaze každému, kdož na pravdě sejde. 
(Requiem aeternam)

Tenž pán velí se nebáti záhubci tělesných, 
velí i život složiti pro lásku svých bližních. 

In a hundred years, God will raise up a man whose calls for reform  cannot be suppressed.

Truth is the last conqueror.
He wins who is slain.
Live, nation sacred to God.
The government of your affairs will return to your hands.  

Ye who are God's warriors and of his law, 
Pray to God for help and have faith in Him; 
That always with Him you will be victorious. 

Christ is worth all your sacrifices, 
He will pay you back a hundredfold. 
If you give up your life for Him 
you will receive eternal life. 
Happy is he who believes this truth. 

The Lord commandeth you not to fear bodily harm, 
And commandeth you to even put your life down for the love of your brothers.

Performed by Mosel Voices, conducted by Dafydd Bullock, 
with Soprano Solo: Danièle Patz 
Organ: Adrien Theato

Available from the i-Tunes store

Requiem for Jan Palach 6

Opus 182, Luxembourg, 2008

Written On The Base Of A Statue
  
Do not be indifferent to the day when the light of the future was carried forward by the light of a burning body.


Performed by Mosel Voices, conducted by Dafydd Bullock, 
with Soprano Solo: Danièle Patz 
Organ: Adrien Theato

Available from the i-Tunes store



Requiem for Jan Palach 7

Interview with the BBC World Service: The World Today about my Requiem for Jan Palach.

Interview with BBC World Service about Requiem for Jan Palach

Dafydd Bullock was born in  Llanberis, Gwynedd, Cymru (Wales).

A composer, he graduated in Music (University of Manchester and the Royal Northern College of Music, 1971 - 1976) where he studied with George Hadjinikos, and took a Master's Degree in International Relations (University of Sussex, 1981 - 1983). In 1993 and 1994 he won first prizes at the National Eisteddfod of Wales, and in 1995 he was honoured in Wales by admission to the highest Order of the Gorsedd of Bards. He was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in 2005.

His compositions include 40 symphonies, 19 symphonic poems, 2 operas, 2 Requiems, 2 Mass settings, a Missa Brevis, an oratorio, 40 string quartets, 9 trios and other chamber music and many songs and pieces for piano. He has written scores for 2 films. 

Works have been published in the British Isles by Oriana Publications, Cwmni Gwynn, Curiad and Bardic Edition, in Belgium by Alain Van Kerckhoven Editeur, in the USA and in Luxembourg by Luxembourg Music Publishers, Music Enterprise and Double You. He has made 41 CDs to date, with SAIN (Wales), AVK (Belgium) and LakeSound. His music has been performed and listened to and broadcast in over 140 countries, including Japan, China, USA, Brazil and Colombia as well as widely within Europe.  

Dafydd Bullock has a particular relationship with Prague: his Second Symphony was given its world premiere by Musici de Praga during the 1996 Prague Spring Festival and the Third Symphony, again in Prague, on St. Valentine's Day, 1997. The third and fourth String Quartets were also recorded in Prague (Becher Quartet) as were the complete works for Cello and Piano (Jindrich Ptacek) and five Trios. More recently, Virtuosi di Basso, the twelve solo celli of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra have recorded and performed music especially written for them. Recently he premiered his Requiem for Jan Palach in Luxembourg and in Prague.

Dafydd Bullock wurde in 1953 in Llanberis, Gwynedd, Cymru (Wales) geboren. Er studierte an der Universität Manchester und am Royal Northern College of Music (Professor George Hadjinikos) von 1971 bis 1976, wo er sein Examen in Musik ablegte. Weiterhin studierte er Politikwissenschaft mit dem Schwerpunkt ‘Internationale Beziehungen’ von 1981 bis 1983 an der Universität Sussex. Dieses Studium schloß er mit der Magister Prüfung ab. Er arbeitet als Komponist. 1993 und 1994 gewann er erste Preise im Fach Komposition an der National Eisteddfod of Wales. Im Jahre 1995 wurde er in Wales durch Verleihung des höchsten Grads der Gorsedd of Bards geehrt und in 2005 wurde er Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. 

Zu seinen Kompositionen gehören 40 Sinfonien, 19 sinfonische Dichtungen, 2 Opern, 2 Messen, 2 Requiem, 40 Streichquartette, 9 Trios und weitere Kammermusik und viele Klavierwerke. Er hat 2 Filmmusiken komponiert.
Verschiedene Werke werden von Oriana Publications, Bardic Edition, Cwmni Gwynn und Curiad in Großbritannien, von Alain van Kerckhoven Editeur in Belgien, und von  Luxembourg Music Publishers, LakeSound, Music Enterprise und Double You in Luxemburg veröffentlicht. Bis jetzt hat er 41 CDs unter anderen bei den Firmen SAIN (Wales) und AVK (Belgien) und LakeSound gemacht.  Seine Musik wurde in mehr als 140 Ländern gehört, gesendet und aufgeführt einschließlich in Japan, China, USA, Brasilien und Columbien, sowie in Europa.