CHRISTUS EST VITA
HYMNUS FOR THE FEAST OF ST. STEPHEN
St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna
Christus Est Vita
(Hymnus for the Feast of St. Stephen)
WORLD PREMIERE OCT. 31, 2015 - VIENNA
In 2014, the choir of St. John's College, Oxford premiered Duncan's Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis, written for and dedicated to the College. In attendance that evening was Fr. Konstantin Reymaier, a guest of the College and the speaker for the service. Reymaier, a priest at St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna, Austria, and an organist, approached Duncan following the service with a commission in mind for a new piece utilizing a 13th-century text on St. Stephen and to commemorate the Cathedral. Half a year later, Christus Est Vita was finished. The Domchor of the Cathedral premiered the piece on October 31st, 2015 in Vienna, in a concert with Mozart's Reqiuem.
About the Text
B R E V A R I U M G O T H I C U M - 1 3 T H C . M O Z A R A B I C R I T E
The text for Christus is drawn from a 13th-century Mozarabic rite text, given to Duncan by Reymaier as part of the commission. It is a long, detailed account of St. Stephen's story, his importance to the world, and his relation to the work and example of Christ. Though omissions were made in the final piece due to length, it captures the broad relevance of Stephen's story, remarking on his struggles and perserverance, and urging those listening to take up his mantle.
Konstantin Reymaier:
Composer, Organist, and Roman-Catholic Priest
Head of Division for Church Music of the Archdiocese of Vienna.
Recent praise for Christus Est Vita:
"Christus est vita, (Christ is life) is a world premier choral setting by choir member Stewart Duncan (b. 1993) which makes a spiritual study of the first martyr, St. Stephen...the section depicting Stephen's death actually sobs, but there is a continous, slow crescendo from that point to the joyful, heavenly redemption [of the conclusion]." - Floyd Gingrich, KC Examiner
"Christus est vita by Stewart Duncan contained a rapturous Gloria section..." - Lee Hartman, KC Metropolis
P I C T U R E S:
"[STEPHEN], BLESSED IN NAME, WAS WASHED IN BLOOD..."
"...HE WAS SHOWERED WITH COLD STONE...THE FIRST BLESSED MARTYR..."
"...LET THE CHORUS HYMN 'GLORY' AND REJOICE! LET IT SAY SING, AND RE-ECHO AGAIN AND AGAIN, 'GLORY!'"