In Paradisum

May angels lead you into paradise, may the martyrs receive you and bring you into the holy city of Jerusalem. May the choir of angels receive you and, with Lazarus, may you have eternal rest. This setting of the familiar Latin text is for double choir (ATB.ATB), creating a rich and resonant sound ideal for the solemnity of a funeral or burial rite. The composer Edward Woodall Naylor uses the antiphonal possibilities of the two choirs to great effect, contrasting the intimate pleas for angelic guidance with the broader, more majestic pronouncements of heavenly welcome and eternal peace. The homophonic texture ensures clarity of text, allowing the profound message of comfort and hope to shine through.