Judith Weir

Missa Del Cid

Missa del Cid was written in 1988, as part of BBC TV's 'Sound on Film' series, which showed the first performance of the piece in its entirety, together with a documentary about its creation. Subsequently, the work (originally written for ten solo voices) has reappeared in several other guises; performed live in concert, recorded on CD, and staged as part of an operatic evening about the era of the Crusades. The text has been compiled from the early 13th century Spanish epic Poema de Mio Cid (which chronicles the life of the 11th century Spanish outlaw, Ruy Diaz de Vivar); and from the liturgical Latin Mass. Duration c. 25 minutes. A speaker is required for the Evangelist role.