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This trio was written in 1995 for the British group Kammerspiel, whose request for a substantial work eventually provoked me to turn to the last words of Christ on the Cross, more particularly to Haydn’s string quartet based around those texts (Matthew ch. 27, Luke ch. 23, John ch. 19). 'The Seven Last Words' is a more concise treatment of the Scriptural passages than that of Haydn and is intended to be experienced as a journey, both emotional and spiritual. It is cast in a single movement, although the sections are clearly delineated: eleven in all, including introduction, interludes and epilogue. While each of the seven ‘Words’ inform and inspire distinct sections of the piece, in general they provide only a starting point with regard to a sense of feeling or meaning. The individuality of each text is less important than the overall direction from first to last. Indeed, the seven main sections fall readily into three broader ones, with the first three texts focussing on other people (“Father, forgive them…”; “This day you will be with me in Paradise”; “Mother, behold thy son…”), the fourth and fifth concerning Christ’s own suffering (“My God, why have you forsaken me?”; “I thirst”), and the last two his resignation to his fate (“It is finished”; “Into thy hands I commend my spirit”). The interludes appear between these broader sections as if contemplating the drama from a distance, and are based on the opening introductory material. As a further unifying device, the same four notes are used motivically at the beginning of each main section and then developed separately, providing a common thematic basis.