Seven Last Words – Choir and Orchestra – Michael John Trotta

Seven Last Words, is a seven-movement choral journey through the Passion, which delivers a powerful and captivating story encompassing a breathtaking palette of emotion, from intimate tenderness to majestic triumph. The work is a rare gem, powerfully emotive and effective in both liturgical and concert settings from an uncompromising and visionary composer of the highest artistry.

Preview – Full Score and Recording

Haunting and evocative, the work displays a superb sense of form and architecture, poignantly distilling the most intimate and universal moments of human emotion. From the tender mercy of “Father, Forgive Them” (1) to the hopefulness of the promise of “Today You Will Be With Me” (2), the work unfolds to reveal a complex tapestry of states of emotion. It builds from the compassion of “Behold, Your Son” (3) and the yearning of “I Thirst” (4), to the despair of “My God Why Have You Abandoned Me?” (5), the acceptance of “Into Your Hands I Surrender” (6), and finally the resignation of “It is Finished” (7). This setting uses various interpolations of biblical and liturgical texts (e.g. Kyrie, “Truly This Man Was the Son of God,” “All of the Gates Were Opened Wide”) as commentary on, and in dialogue with, the words of Christ, further expanding the story and the reaction of those witness to the Passion.