This deeply moving piece is based on a 13th century poem attributed to Jacopone da Todi, a Franciscan monk. It reflects on what Mary, the mother of Jesus, might have felt as she watched her son die on the cross, and invites the listener to join with her in the powerful emotions of both grief and joy. 

The work was composed after a period of intense personal tragedy when, in the space of two years, three of his children died while still young, and as he watched the grief of his wife, Anna. 

Stabat Mater ('Mother standing') uses unusually sublime musical expression,  free of any form of triviality or superficial effects. The score is particularly valued for its beauty and variety, deliberately drawing on the combination of human voices and rich orchestral colour.  It is a work of grief and despair, but ultimately  of solace and healing, culminating in the glorious Amen - a most appropriate work for the Lenten period.