Agnus Dei from Safe Harbor by Resonance Ensemble

Agnus Dei
Music by Damien Geter



Commission Story

This movement originates from Damien Geter’s An African American Requiem, commissioned by Resonance Ensemble in 2017. A landmark achievement, An African American Requiem is the first large-scale requiem to memorialize Black Americans lost to racial violence in the United States. Geter first approached Resonance Ensemble’s Artistic Director, Dr. Katherine FitzGibbon, with the idea following the 2016 election. The first movement to be premiered was this a cappella movement, the Agnus Dei, which Resonance premiered in 2018. It remains a special cappella moment in the midst of the large choral orchestral masterpiece that is the complete Requiem.

In addition to commissioning Geter, Resonance Ensemble supported the commissioning of writer and activist Dr. S. Renee Mitchell, who created original text for the final movement—narration that is delivered live over the orchestra.

Program Note

The full African American Requiem incorporates texts from victims of racial violence, writings of Black civil rights leaders, traditional spirituals, and the Latin mass. The completed score spans 19 movements, including two prior Resonance commissions: There’s a Man Goin’ Round and Agnus Dei. One of the largest commissions in Resonance’s history, the project was amplified by All Classical Radio, which broadcast the premiere live and later championed syndicated broadcasts across the country.

Originally slated to debut in 2020, the global pandemic delayed the premiere until May 2022—an unexpected pause that allowed Resonance Ensemble to expand the work’s community impact through a comprehensive education initiative. Developed by educator Judy A. Rose, Dr. S. Renee Mitchell, Dr. Katherine FitzGibbon, Portland Public Schools VAPA Director Kristen Brayson, and Oh! Creative Productions, the curriculum provided students with essential historical and cultural context, vocabulary, and local history that enriched their experience of attending the world premiere.

Given the scope of the project—from community engagement and curriculum development to preparing the musicians and producing the recording—Resonance Ensemble convened an Advisory Committee of artists, activists, and community leaders from across Portland to guide the process.

Since its Oregon premiere, An African American Requiem has continued to resonate nationwide. The work received its East Coast premiere at the Kennedy Center, has been performed by multiple orchestras with Geter conducting, and was named one of the “Best in Classical” works of 2022 by The Washington Post.

In its fifteenth season, Resonance Ensemble, a professional vocal ensemble based in Portland, Oregon, creates and performs powerful programs that promote meaningful social change.