Passing contains:
01. Blessed Are They That Mourn (Comfort) SATB, Organ
02. Ubi Caritas (Love) SATB a cappella
03. You Now Are Sorrowful (Sorrow) Mezzo-soprano Solo, Organ
04. Death, After All, Claims Everyone (Pain) Tenor Solo, Organ
05. Lord, Make Me Know Mine End (Hope) SATB, Organ
06. To Olga (Truth) SATB, Organ
07. Lacrymosa (Frailty) Baritone Solo, Organ
08. Birdsong (Happiness) Mezzo-soprano Solo, SATB, Flute, Organ
09. Pie Jesu SATB, Organ
Passing is a collection of vocal works that are written to address the circumstances of death. It is not intended to be a requiem for one who has died, but rather provides music for those who survive the death of a loved one, as they work through their grief to arrive at solace and understanding. The texts have been selected from three main sources: the Bible, the Requiem Mass, and "I Never Saw Another Butterfly," a collection of poetry by children held in the Terezin Concentration Camp during World War II. Above all, Passing is a celebration of life. From our grief and pain emerges a sense of wholeness, love, and peace. Although Passing was conceived and constructed as a complete work to be performed in its entirety, individual movements are equally effective when performed separately. The music has been composed with high school, college and church choirs in mind. Passing performed in its entirety has a duration of thirty minutes.
"It is not dedicated to a person in particular. I was affected by the
death of my father-in-law, and by the deep pain and search for peace by
his loved ones. I was seeking to explore the feelings of those who
grieve. Unique to this piece is the choice of text, which was a
combination of poetry by children in the Terezin Concentration Camp and
from the Bible. It is a mix of faiths, but the juxtaposition is, to me,
fascinating."