Agnus Dei, for tenor saxophone, percussion, SATB Choir, string orchestra, organ, multiple gongs and audience, was written for Wayne Strongman and the Rosedale United Church.
Originally (in a different orchestration), Agnus Dei was the fourth movement of the work Four Rituals for Percussion Quintet, Choir and Audience, which was commissioned by the percussion group NEXUS with funds from the Laidlaw Foundation. The first performance of this version was given by the Rosedale Soloists and Choir, soloists, and students from the Faculty of Music, University of Toronto, under the direction of David Passmore at Rosedale United Church, Toronto on 15 October 2005.
Born in Greece, educated in the United States and a Canadian citizen since 1985, composer Christos Hatzis (b.1953) is becoming widely known as a leading figure in contemporary classical music. His works are performed and broadcast throughout the world, and their frequent combination of a powerful spiritual foundation with an immediately accessible appeal has made a deep emotional impact upon audiences and performers alike.
