In Paradisum by M. Durufle

It was a hot day in May in Somers Point, NJ and I was preparing to play in a concerto competition. Scott Breiner, a fabulous organist and choir conductor, graciously agreed to accompany my performance at the piano. We were taking a break from rehearsal and we started talking about choir music. There I was, a high-school senior not even in college, thinking that I was a choir nerd and discussing how much I loved Mozart’s Requiem. Scott was gentle and his music wisdom knew how to inspire me without letting me know how gargantuan was the path ahead of me. Scott talked to me about the magnificent Durufle requiem. He talked about chant, church modes, and who knows whatever else which at the time probably completely escaped my head… The one thing I do remember, and will always remember, is that profound explanation of the ending movement “In Paradisum”. He mentioned, the whole requiem ends on a dominant 9th chord! “Can you believe it!?” he asked me while staring at me with an excited face. I barely knew what a G7 chord was at the time, let alone a dominant 9th? I remember not knowing what it meant, but I do remember feeling inspired and fascinated at the facility with which Scott described music and how passionate he was about it. His passion sparked a flame in me… I listened to the work when I got back to my house, with headphones on, and became almost addicted to the mysterious sound of the organ as it combined with the gentle voices of the choir. And it resonated in my head, the words of wisdom that so fabulously describe this ending: “Does paradise exist? Can humanity really comprehend what comes after life?”.

“In Paradisum, deducant te Angeli”
- May the angels lead you into paradise. 

​Carlos Bedoya, 04/05/2023
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Cape Shore Chorale Website