Lux Aeterna (1997) - Morten Lauridsen (b.1943)

1. Introitus: Requiem aeternam
2. In Te, Domine, Speravi (Te Deum)
3. Nata Lux
4. Veni, Sancte Spiritus
5. Agnus Dei — Lux Aeterna

“All of my music is about love, in its many forms — romantic love, spiritual love, the love of nature, and the love of light. Lux Aeterna is about the comforting light that always shines, even in our darkest hours.”

Morten Lauridsen

Morten Lauridsen's Lux Aeterna (“Eternal Light”) was composed in 1997 and quickly became one of the most loved choral works of the late 20th century. Its serene beauty, glowing harmonies and radiant sense of peace have made it a modern classic — often described as a spiritual companion to Fauré's Requiem or Duruflé's Requiem, though its voice is unmistakably Lauridsen's own.

Lauridsen's mother, who had introduced him to music as a child, was gravely ill when he composed the piece. The theme of light — as symbol, prayer and promise — runs throughout the work, offering consolation and hope. Lauridsen later described Lux Aeterna as “an intimate meditation on light, a universal symbol of illumination, transcendence and comfort.”

Commissioned and premiered by the Los Angeles Master Chorale under Paul Salamunovich, Lux Aeterna cemented Lauridsen's reputation as one of the foremost choral composers of his generation.

Lux Aeterna is a continuous five-movement work for choir and orchestra (or organ), setting a carefully chosen sequence of Latin texts that all refer to light — from the comforting “Lux aeterna luceat eis” (“Let perpetual light shine upon them”) of the Requiem Mass to the radiant doxologies of the Te Deum. The movements unfold as a single arc, progressing from darkness toward light, from mourning to serenity.

The work opens with a gentle invocation: “Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine” (“Grant them eternal rest, O Lord”). The music is hushed, unfolding in the rich, luminous harmonies that are Lauridsen's hallmark. The mood is contemplative, the lines smoothly interwoven and the harmonies suspended in a timeless calm.

The first mention of “lux perpetua” (“perpetual light”) glows softly in the upper voices — the image of light as both spiritual and musical illumination.

Without pause, the second movement offers a prayer of confidence and praise. The text, taken from the Te Deum, begins “In you, O Lord, I have trusted; let me never be confounded.” The music here is more animated, with flowing, contrapuntal lines and rhythmic vitality that recall Renaissance polyphony. Lauridsen's modern tonality however, keeps the texture warm and luminous rather than austere.

Scored for unaccompanied choir, the central movement, O nata lux de lumine (“O light born of light”), is the emotional and spiritual heart of the work. One of Lauridsen's most famous and beloved compositions, it is often performed on its own. Here, Lauridsen achieves an almost mystical stillness. The overlapping voices shimmer like light itself, each phrase unfolding with perfect clarity and balance. The text, a hymn to Christ as the Light of the World, encapsulates the entire work's theme of transformation through illumination.

The fourth movement invokes the “sweet light” of the Holy Spirit: “Come, Holy Spirit, and send out from heaven the ray of your light.” The tone is more expansive and flowing, filled with rhythmic motion and gentle crescendos that suggest the spreading of divine light and warmth. Lauridsen's orchestration is translucent — harp, strings and winds interweave around the choral texture like shifting beams of light.

The final movement brings together several textual sources, combining the Agnus Dei from the Mass with verses from the Communion of the Requiem (“Lux aeterna luceat eis”) and the Veni, Sancte Spiritus. This synthesis of texts mirrors the musical integration of earlier themes: motifs from the opening Introitus and O nata lux return in transformed form, creating a sense of cyclical completion. The closing pages are among the most moving in modern choral music. The phrase “et lux perpetua luceat eis” is repeated with gentle insistence, fading into stillness — a final affirmation of eternal light and peace.

Lauridsen's music is often described as 'Neo-Renaissance' or 'Neo-Impressionist,' but his compositional style is deeply individual. His harmonic language, rich in suspended chords and gentle dissonances, creates a sound world of extraordinary warmth and clarity. Influences from Gregorian chant, Renaissance polyphony and French composers such as Fauré, Ravel and Duruflé can be heard, yet Lauridsen's approach is modern in its harmonic pacing and emotional restraint.

He writes for the voice with exceptional sensitivity, balancing technical precision with an abiding sense of lyricism. The result is music that feels both ancient and new — timeless in its serenity and universal in its message.