Rütti composed Alpha et Omega in 1994 especially for Stephen Jackson and the BBC Symphony Chorus. He drew the text from St John's Gospel and the Book of Revelation. The title comes from Revelation, Chapter 21.
At the beginning, the tenor solo represents John the Baptist telling two of his disciples (soprano and alto soli) that Christ is the Lamb of God. They ask Jesus where he lives. Jesus (bass solo) shows them the eternal Jerusalem. For Rütti the choral sound is analagous to the light St John describes emanating from the visionary city. There then follows a litany of Christ's "Ego sum" (1 am) statements sung by vocal quartet alternating with full chorus.
© Chris de Souza, March 1996
