Pacem

According to Wikipedia:

Peace is a state of harmony, absent open hostility. This term is applied to describe a cessation of or lapse in violent international conflict; in this international context, peace is the opposite of war. Peace can also describe a relationship between any parties characterized by respect, justice, and goodwill.

More generally, peace can pertain to an individual relative to her or his environment, as peaceful can describe calm, serenity, and silence. This latter understanding of peace can also pertain to an individual’s sense of himself or herself, as to be “at peace” with one’s self would indicate the same serenity, calm, and equilibrium within oneself.

Pacem is the latin word for peace and if you GoodSearch it, you’ll find there are numerous people and groups who have chosen to use the word to describe what they do or what they are about. I could say that probably the most common use of the word pacem is in the musical title Dona Nobis Pacem.

I have had the honor to conduct a piece that was written by Robert Spittal recently for wind band called simply, Pacem. In my thoughts, it tells a story. It starts out with a trumpet then French horn solos – children playing innocently. From there, more brass are added to the melody and we maybe see these children grow up. As they grow, they see lots of happiness and sadness; and have whirlwind lives. Even in the middle, we find the clarinet solo asking a question, maybe something like, “Will we ever see peace in our lives?”. In the end, they come back together to share all the adventures of their lives and sit together in peace. There is just so much raw emotion built into this piece of music that’s it difficult to put it all into words. If you just sit and listen and allow the music to engulf you for the time, you’ll find a moment of peace within yourself. The more I listen to it, the more emotions I find built into it. An amazingly powerful piece of music!

This recording is not our band playing it at National Concert Band Festival but they were just as good as the group on this recording.

In a world that is so filled with anger and violence, I hope we all take the time to find our inner peace.