A Thousand Years

A millennial anthem commissioned for James O'Donnell & the Choir of Westminster Cathedral. Like BCAD (written the same year for the Swingle Singers), this motet is in two halves separated by a pause, or possibly even by other music or events in a service or recital. It takes as its starting-point the biblical concept of God's relationship with time and eternity - "with the Lord a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like one day" - and incorporates a further patchwork of texts that refer both to Christ's first coming as a babe in Bethlehem two thousand years ago, and to His promised second coming at the end of the age. The first half of the motet is slow, the second a fast exploration of the same musical material. First performed at Westminster Cathedral on 17 & 21 December 2000, conducted by Martin Baker; duration: c.8'. A recording by TONUS PEREGRINUS directed by the composer is available on the album Alpha and Omega (Hyperion CDA67668).