Pie Jesu

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Pie Jesu is a motet that is a part of some composers' musical settings of the Requiem Mass. Those by Gabriel Fauré, Antonín Dvořák, Maurice Duruflé, John Rutter, Luigi Cherubini, and Andrew Lloyd Webber include a Pie Jesu. It does not form part of the Ordinary of the Mass, and is not found in all composers' settings.

The words combine paraphrases of the final verse of the thirteenth-century poem Dies Irae and the seventh-century Agnus Dei:

Pie Jesu Domine, dona eis requiem. Dona eis requiem sempiternam.

("O sweet Lord Jesus, grant them rest; grant them everlasting rest.")

The Pie Jesu from the Requiem by Lloyd Webber was originally performed by Sarah Brightman, who has performed it many times throughout her career; and has rerecorded the track for her Classics album in 2001. Charlotte Church has also recorded the song on her best-selling debut album, Voice of an Angel as did Joseph McManners on his debut album In Dreams.^[1] The Andrew Lloyd Webber version has also now been performed by Angelis, a group of young choir children.

Michael Jackson used the song Pie Jesu as an intro to "Little Susie" on his History album. The song is about a little girl who has died and in this context been granted her eternal rest.

Aled Jones performed the Pie Jesu from Rutter's Requiem on his album Aled. Fauré's setting has been recorded many times, both as part of complete recordings of his Requiem and as a separate movement.

[edit] Spelling

Classical Latin does not use the letter 'j', which would render "Pie Iesu".

[edit] Trivia

The monks in Monty Python and the Holy Grail chant the words of the Pie Jesu.
The song also plays at the Japanese anime called Gantz when the next episodes preview is being shown
The Pie Jesu from Faure's Requiem is being played at the end of South Park episode Lice Capades, when the lice protagonist is being rescued by a fly.
It appears as an introduction of the Blind Guardian song Inquisition from their album Follow the Blind.