Pacem in Terris
SSAATTBB a Capella
Program Note
On the morning of September 11, 2001, I was visiting my family in Seattle when I received one of the most disturbing calls of my life: “Turn on the TV.” The moment I did, I saw the second plane crashing into the World Trade Center—an image that has remained etched in my memory ever since.
A few years later, after moving to New York City, I felt compelled to create a musical tribute to the city and to those who lost their lives that day. New York is perhaps the most multicultural city in the world, and in recognition of that diversity, I chose to set a single phrase—“Peace on Earth”—in multiple languages: Latin, Spanish, English, French, Italian, and German.
Musically, the piece is built around evolving chord progressions that shift each time the language changes. The text, repeated in different tongues, serves as a reminder that peace is a universal value one we must continue to honor and protect as a global community.
- Juan Guerra González