Regina Caeli in memoriam Henryk Górecki

Before writing this piece, I was told that it would be a piece written in memory of Górecki and paired with "Mała Fantazja"; a work that is not as known as his other works, but still felt intimate and down to earth. Listening to his works, I would describe his style as having simplicity on the surface masking a profound complexity of emotion. There is a deep sense of grief, however not in despair. It is accompanied by a sense of tenderness, timelessness, and spiritual transcendence. I wanted this piece to honour that in a reverent manner.

Henryk Górecki was a Catholic with a devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. This devotion clearly shaped his compositional work, most notably his Symphony No. 3, inspired by a prayer to the Virgin Mary scratched on the wall of a Gestapo prison cell by a teenage girl. I thought it would be fitting to have the theme of this piece be the Regina Caeli chant melody. Regina Caeli is a Marian antiphon, sung from Easter to Pentecost, celebrating the resurrection of Christ. Through this chant, I wanted to express a hope that Górecki is now free from the sorrows of this world and has entered into the joys of eternal life.

This piece is a fusion of the "Mała Fantazja" and Regina Caeli, and should always be performed immediately after "Mała Fantazja" in the context of a concert. Though it is a simple piece, parts that may seem puzzling at first might resonate with you on subsequent listens.

I had some doubts while writing it about whether my knowledge of the repertoire and compositional skill were sufficient to execute the idea respectfully. But after leaving it alone for seven months and returning to it, I was surprised to hear it in a different way and find the balance of melancholy, serenity, and mystery that I had hoped for. Thank you to Mariusz Monczak and Robert Adamczak for bringing this piece to life and to my teacher Norbert Palej. Hope you enjoy!