Requiem for an angel (2010) contains:
01. Requiem Aeternam
02. Pie Jesu
03. Chorale - Let Mine Eyes See Thee
04. Sanctus
05. Agnus Dei
06. Song - Do I Love You
07. Kyrie
08. Lux Aeterna

♫ 01. Requiem Aeternam
© Stone Records 5060192780048


♫ 02. Pie Jesu
© Stone Records 5060192780048


♫ 03. Chorale - Let Mine Eyes See Thee
© Stone Records 5060192780048


♫ 04. Sanctus
© Stone Records 5060192780048


♫ 05. Agnus Dei
© Stone Records 5060192780048


♫ 06. Song - Do I Love You
© Stone Records 5060192780048


♫ 07. Kyrie
© Stone Records 5060192780048


♫ 08. Lux Aeterna
© Stone Records 5060192780048

The dedicatee, the composers mother, Una Hale (18/11/1922 – 04/03/2005) was an Australian operatic soprano, mainly known in her native country and in the United Kingdom. Born in Adelaide, Hale came to Britain in 1946 to study at the Royal College of Music. She appeared with the Carl Rosa Opera Company from 1949 to 1954, playing many leading roles, such as Violetta in Verdi's La Traviata Micaela Carmen and Marguerite in Gounod's Faust. In 1954 Hale was engaged as a principal soprano at the Royal Opera, Covent Garden, where she sang most of the major lyric soprano roles. She was particularly noted for her portrayals of Ellen Orford in Britten's Peter Grimes, Eva in Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, The Marschallin in Richard Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier, and Liu in Puccini's Turandot. In 1956 she portrayed Naomi in the world première of Lennox Berkeley's opera, Ruth. The production was mounted by the English Opera Group with Anna Pollak singing the title role and Peter Pears portraying Boaz. In 1962, Hale sang the title role in the Australian première of Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos. During that same season she also portrayed Donna Anna in Mozart's Don Giovanni and Alice Ford in Verdi's Falstaff. In 1963-64 she sang Ellen Orford and Tosca with the Sadler's Wells Opera Company, and Tosca and The Marshallin in Romania with the Romanian National Opera. In 1960 she married Martin Carr, at that time Technical Director of the Royal Ballet - subsequently a theatre consultant - and retired from the stage in 1965 after the birth of her second child. She spent the rest of her life in Bath, England.

The Light of Love - A Requiem Mass for choir and organ, with soprano saxophone, harp and cello.
It contains:
01. Requiem Aeternam
02. Kyrie
03. Dies Irae
04. Tuba Mirum
05. Mors Stupebit
06. Rex Tremendae
07. Recordare
08. Confutatis
09. Lacrimosa
10. Offertory (Domine Jesu/Hostias)
11. Sanctus (Benedictus)
12. Agnus Dei
13. Lux Aeterna

♫ 01. Requiem Aeternam
© EM Records EMR CD068


♫ 02. Kyrie
© EM Records EMR CD068


♫ 03. Dies Irae
© EM Records EMR CD068


♫ 04. Tuba Mirum
© EM Records EMR CD068


♫ 05. Mors Stupebit
© EM Records EMR CD068


♫ 06. Rex Tremendae
© EM Records EMR CD068


♫ 07. Recordare
© EM Records EMR CD068


♫ 08. Confutatis
© EM Records EMR CD068


♫ 09. Lacrimosa
© EM Records EMR CD068


♫ 10. Offertory (Domine Jesu/Hostias)
© EM Records EMR CD068


♫ 11. Sanctus (Benedictus)
© EM Records EMR CD068


♫ 12. Agnus Dei
© EM Records EMR CD068


♫ 13. Lux Aeterna
© EM Records EMR CD068

The Light of Love by Paul Carr is subtitled A Requiem Mass. He uses the bare skeleton of the full Latin texts along with newly created English verses by Euan Tait (b.1968).
The Latin words deliver a sense of universality, while the English words are far more personal in their impact. The richness of both the choral and instrumental scoring do tend to obscure some of the English words which somewhat misses the point of the new poetry.
Carr scores for organ along with cello, harp and soprano saxophone. This last instrument surprised me since Rob Burton’s deliciously smooth playing sounds more flute-like.
I was even more impressed by the crucial sweeping cello playing of Alba Merchant. The organ comes to the fore at the beginning of just a few of the sections, the Rex tremendae for instance.
Elsewhere Simon Earl’s playing provides an orchestral filling while Eluned Pierce’s harp adds to the suggestion of full orchestra. There are only 13 singers in Tredici (Italian for thirteen) but their sound is consistently rich and powerful, though, as mentioned above, their words are not at all clear.
As I have mentioned already, the scoring itself is broad spanned and rich sounding, throughout the work. There is only one section, the Tuba Mirum, where vocal soloists, tenor Matt Mears and baritone Timothy Bagley are used.
In the accompanying booklet, both Mozart and Fauré are mentioned. In the Dies irae, there is a near quotation of Mozart.
The opening of the work has a suggestion of English folk/pastoral about its melody, especially where the cello sings out rather magnificently. This music returns in the finale Lux aeterna, a nice touch in shaping the work.
Carr’s writing is very much his own. I notice his music is included in another EM CD of choral music along with Morten Lauridsen, Bob Chilcott and Eric Whitacre, all composers whose music is warmly tonal.
I was particularly impressed by the way in which Carr brings together the chorus with his four instruments. There are so many moments where you feel he has got everything just right; flowing cello, flute-like sax, rippling harp and the orchestral filling of the organ – there are many unique touches for you to hear.

Having already composed Requiem for an Angel in 2006 (now one of my most frequently performed works), it was a little daunting thinking about starting a second Requiem, and especially so, during the Coronavirus Lockdown period in 2020; although, I should add that this, in fact, kept me occupied and I found myself relishing the creative process, even though writing a Mass for the Dead during such a troubled time in the world. After initially talking through the project with Ken and Stella, I learned that their most favoured Requiem was the Mozart, a work they've both sung many times, and that gave me the key to starting, in using the Mozart as a model; in some movements I have used harmonic and thematic structures from the Mozart as a basis for my own. It was also Ken and Stella's wish that I use my Air for Strings (which they often hear played on Classic FM) for the Agnus Dei. The commission was for choir and organ, with soprano saxophone and cello, but I also added in a harp, creating I feel, a rather beautiful quartet of instruments. I've always loved Euan Tait's words and his emotional response to the Requiem texts have been the most vital part in creating this substantial, though intimate Requiem; and this being my second, we decided upon a different title, The Light of Love, as ‘light’ and ‘love’ are the two most prevalent themes in this work.