Henryk Mikołaj Górecki

Euntes Ibant et Flebant op. 32

Henryk Miko aj Górecki (1933-2010) was a Polish composer, who at one point was the most popular living classical composer anywhere in the world. His 1972 work, Euntes Ibant Et Flebant (Op. 32) is one of more than 70 acknowledged compositions, and his first religious work for a capella choir. Using text from Psalms 94 and 125, he creates a layered texture giving rise to an incredible spatial sound effect, as if the prayers and sounds of a hymn-singing choir are rising and mixing together into the upper eaves of a great cathedral. First performed in 1975 by the National Philharmonic Choir of Warsaw, this SATB chorus is an absolute gem that deserves to be better-known.