Thomas Gabriel Missa mundi

The idea for this Mass was conceived in the run-up to the XX World Youth Day in Cologne in 2005. In order to focus musically on the whole world - which is the focus of the World Youth Day - the five Ordinary Canticles were to be associated with the five continents. This resulted in a European Kyrie, a South American Gloria, an Asian Credo, an African Sanctus and an Australian Agnus Dei. The compositional bracket is the Missa mundi, an ancient Gregorian setting of the liturgical texts, which runs as a red thread through all five parts of the mass. The respective local character is created using additional instruments: Panpipes, charangos and drums for South America, a sitar for Asia, drums for Africa and a didgereedoo for Australia. Europe is represented in the Kyrie by the compositional technique in the style of Johann Sebastian Bach, the greatest European church musician.