A Requiem based on plainchant motives, which makes use of a traditional lullaby from Gran Canaria. Hence the added ‘Canario’ in its title.
The Requiem ‘Canario’ was written after the completion of ‘Paradisal Journeys’ and it forms a creative unity with that composition. In this Requiem, Western European achievements meet Russian cultural heritage. Because of the Roman Catholic background of his family, Paul was raised with plainchant as the most important form of church music. Also during his education at the Music Academy, much attention was paid to this kind of church music, and it felt only natural to use plainchant motives in his Requiem. Although it wasn’t primarily written for liturgical use, it can be used equally well in this context.In Part 3 (Going) Paul used a poem by Philip Larkin (with permission of Marvell Press, England/Australia) in an orchestral song. This poem expresses wonderfully the ambivalent feeling of astonishment and dismay Paul has about death. Also inspired by this poem, Svetlana Voytkevich created a Russian pendant.In Part 5 (Pie Jesu) he used a traditional lullaby from the Canary Islands. When Paul first heard this song through a friend of his, Sofia Rodriguez, he was struck by its simplicity and emotional directness…

Part 1 "Exaudi Nos":