Requiem is also used to describe any sacred composition that sets to music religious texts which would be appropriate at a funeral, or to describe such compositions for liturgies other than the Roman Catholic Mass. Among the earliest examples of this type are the German settings composed in the 17th century by
Heinrich Schütz and
Michael Praetorius, whose works are Lutheran adaptations of the Roman Catholic requiem, and which provided inspiration for the
German Requiem by
Brahms. Such works include: •
Greek Orthodox Church—
Parastas •
Russian Orthodox Church—
Panikhida • Anglican (English) Requiem
Eastern Christian rites In the
Eastern Orthodox and
Greek-Catholic Churches, the requiem is the fullest form of
memorial service (,
Slavonic: ). The normal memorial service is a greatly abbreviated form of
Matins, but the Requiem contains all of the psalms, readings, and hymns normally found in the
All-Night Vigil (which combines the
Canonical Hours of
Vespers,
Matins and
First Hour), providing a complete set of
propers for the departed. The full requiem will last around three-and-a-half hours. In this format it more clearly represents the original concept of
parastas, which means literally, "standing throughout (the night)." Often, there will be a
Divine Liturgy celebrated the next morning with further propers for the departed. Because of their great length, a full Requiem is rarely served. However, at least in the
Russian liturgical tradition, a Requiem will often be served on the eve before the
Glorification (canonization) of a
saint, in a special service known as the "Last
Panikhida".
Anglicanism The
Book of Common Prayer contained no Requiem Mass, but instead a service named "The Order for the Burial of the Dead". Since the liturgical reform movement, provision has been made for a Eucharist to be celebrated at a funeral in various BCPs used in the various Provinces of the Anglican Communion. Prior to these additions,
Anglo-Catholics or
High Church Anglicans often incorporated parts of the Roman Catholic Requiem Mass as part of a funeral service — typically passages from the Ordinary of the Mass. Within this service are several texts with rubrics stating that they should be said or sung by the priest or clerks. The first few of these texts are found at the beginning of the service, while the rest are prescribed for the burial itself. These texts are typically divided into seven, and collectively known as "funeral sentences". Composers who have set the Anglican burial service to music include
William Croft,
Thomas Morley,
Thomas Tomkins,
Orlando Gibbons and
Henry Purcell. The text of these seven sentences, from the 1662
Book of Common Prayer, is as follows: • I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.
(John 11:25-26) • I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another.
(Job 19:25-27) • We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the Name of the Lord.
(1 Timothy 6:7 and Job 1:21) • Man that is born of a woman hath but a short time to live, and is full of misery. He cometh up, and is cut down, like a flower; he fleeth as it were a shadow, and never continueth in one stay.
(Job 14:1-2) • In the midst of life we are in death: of whom may we seek for succour, but of thee, O Lord, who for our sins art justly displeased? Yet, O Lord God most holy, O Lord most mighty, O holy and most merciful Saviour, deliver us not into the bitter pains of eternal death.
(Media vita in morte sumus) • Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts; shut not thy merciful ears to our prayer; but spare us, Lord most holy, O God most mighty, O holy and merciful Saviour, thou most worthy judge eternal, suffer us not, at our last hour, for any pains of death, to fall from thee. • I heard a voice from heaven, saying unto me, Write, From henceforth blessed are the dead which die in the Lord: even so saith the Spirit: for they rest from their labours.
(Revelation 14:13) ==Music==