Elizabeth II originally personally commissioned James MacMillan in 2011 to write a piece of music for her funeral.[1][2]
MacMillan was commissioned by the Dean and Chapter of Westminster to prepare the piece for the state funeral of Elizabeth II, which was held on 19 September 2022.[3][4][5] The commission, for an Anglican service, was regarded as a surprise, as he is "now possibly the best-known Catholic composer in the world", but he is known as a "masterly composer of small-scale religious choral pieces" such as a setting of a poem by Henry Vaughan.[6] The composer said that he was "deeply honoured" by the commission. He wrote the composition in 2011/12.[7]
For the anthem, he set verses from chapter 8 of the Epistle to the Romans, beginning "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?", with an added "Alleluia! Amen". The work is scored for eight voices a cappella (SSAATTBB).[5] It was published by Boosey & Hawkes.[5]
Tim Ashley from The Guardian wrote about the performance: "... his anthem opening with upper voices hovering over a sustained bass drone, before the music escalates towards a sequence of ecstatic alleluias and comes to rest on a quiet Amen."[9] Jeremy Reynolds from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette called it a "powerful, earthy anthem" in which "higher voices floated ethereally over a chasmic bass".[10] He continued: "Alleluias followed, burning bright sonic trails before settling and resting with chords of utter tranquility."[10]