Orgelmesse: Kyrie (2nd Movement)

I had only been playing organ for a few months when I found a long list of organ composers online. I saw Joseph Ahrens at the top of the list, so I looked up some recordings of his music. The opening of the Introitus immediately resonated with me and inspired me to learn the entire mass. Ahrens's use of early styles of counterpoint and chant in his liturgical music drew me to a deep appreciation for his music.

Ahrens expresses the words of the Kyrie through rhythm and melodic contour. The opening melody could easily be sung to the words "Kyrie, Kyrie, Kyrie eleison."