Jake Runestad

"Alleluia" by Jake Runestad. Performed by the Salt Lake Vocal Artists at the 2014 Western ACDA Division Conference. Purchase scores: http://jakerunestad.com/store/alleluia

Alleluia (SATB choir)

"Gaelic Prayer" by Jake Runestad. Plymouth Choir & Doane Choir. Jake Runestad, conductor. Purchase scores: http://jakerunestad.com/store/gaelic-prayer

Gaelic Prayer (SATB choir)

"Ave Verum." Music by Jake Runestad, text by Todd Boss. Performed by the Choral Arts Society of Washington D.C. Scott Tucker, conductor. More info and purchase scores: http://jakerunestad.com/store/ave-verum

TEXT:

Mozart Closes His Eyes and Begins Hearing "Ave Verum Corpus"
by Todd Boss

Fill a bath now,
lay the body in.
Gently now, softly now.
Mind him. Tend
him. Red
runs the water
around him, and yet
o warmth, o softness,
with my music let
me kiss him, bless
him, ease him away
at last, at last …
ave, ave …

ABOUT:

The exaltation of composers like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart often places them in the realm of gods or saints, and at times we forget their humanness. When artistic director Scott Tucker and I discussed the theme for this commissioned work, his desire was to pair the work with Mozart’s "Ave Verum Corpus." Attempting to create a work to be presented alongside one of Mozart's is an intimidating endeavor. However, I began to consider Mozart’s humanness and wonder what he might have been thinking and feeling as he wrote "Ave Verum Corpus" (as well as his "Requiem") — how did his own experiences and complexities participate in his inner monologue for this iconic music? After considering various traditional Latin texts, I asked my good friend and frequent collaborator, Todd Boss, to create a text that explores this question.

Mozart’s serene music seems a disjunct pairing with the crucifixion image of the Ave Verum text, and Todd’s poem so beautifully captures a possible reason for Mozart’s intent. To deepen the connection to Mozart, my work is built on musical fragments from two works written in the final year of his life: "Ave Verum Corpus" and "Requiem." I hope that this new work might contextualize Mozart’s humanness and illuminate the personal meaning behind one of his most beloved works.   - Jake Runestad, composer.

Ave Verum (SATB & string orchestra)

Sleep, Little Baby, Sleep by Jake Runestad. Performed live by Seraphic Fire.

http://jakerunestad.com/works/sleep-little-baby-sleep



Text:

Holy Innocents
by Christina Rossetti

Sleep, little baby, sleep;
 The holy Angels love thee, 
And guard thy bed, and keep 
A blessed watch above thee. 
No spirit can come near 
Nor evil beast to harm thee: 
Sleep, Sweet, devoid of fear
 Where nothing need alarm thee.

The Love which doth not sleep, 
The eternal Arms surround thee: 
The Shepherd of the sheep
 In perfect love hath found thee. 
Sleep through the holy night, 
[...]kept from snare and sorrow, 
Until thou wake to light 
And love and warmth to-morrow.

Sleep, Little Baby, Sleep - (SATB Choir) (live)

I am glad to open this page during Easter 2016 festivity to take part to all the artists who all aroud  the world sing the risen Christ and to those who more broadly make us rediscover the directory of our Christian cultures. In all thank you.


Je suis heureux d'ouvrir cette page pour les fêtes de Pâques 2016 pour m'associer à tous les artistes qui de part le monde chante le christ ressucité et à ceux qui plus largement nous font redécouvrir le répertoire de nos cultures chrétiennes. A tous merci.

Jake Runestad

Resurrexit sicut dixit