Ask Mercy While Thou May
Alison Willis

Browse Works

War Songs
PIED PIPER
Those Things Three
SOUND II
The Ballad Of The Harp Weaver
Rookwood Canticle
Gustate et Videte
JOURNEYS
Prelude and Fugue No. 1
Scherzophrenic
In Commendation of Music
The Merry Councellor Suite
Ask Mercy While Thou May
Dawn. Brussels. October 12th 1915
A Light Not Yet Ready To Go Out
Magnificat
Like The Dove
O Most Merciful
Of a Rose We Sing
Do Not Stand at my Grave and Weep
I Sing of a Maiden
Love in Idleness
Paschalia - from Three Easter Chorale Preludes

Instrumentation

Choir
1

Additional Information

SATB Extensive divisi

Score available at https://composersedition.com/alison-willis-ask-mercy-while-thou-may

The text for this piece is taken from a Middle English Poem (Bodleian MS. Arch. Selden B. 26, f. 7v). It is combined with the words of the Kyrie Eleison, starting with one simple motif, building to many layered polyphony and returning to the single motif at the end. The musical language is modal with many overlapping layers created by the extensive divisi, perhaps a collective crying our for mercy.

To some extent it is inspired by Tallis’s Spem in Alium and could be performed in the round.

Tags

Contemporary choral Medieval Middle English Modal

Details

Year
Publisher
Composers Edition
Minutes
6

Recordings

Title
Ask Mercy While Thou May
Media link
ask-mercy-while-thou-may