Mike Bergh Star Wars Requiem

The Mike Bergh Star Wars Requiem was written in loving memory of Mike Bergh, who served as Stage Manager at Willamette University and was a integral and beloved part of the music program. It was performed on June 12th, 2022 in Hudson Hall at Willamette University by alumni of the Willamette Chamber Choir and members of the Willamette Master Chorus and conducted by Dr. Wallace Long. The music was composed by Dr. John Peel, Emeritus Professor of Composition, and three Willamette music alumni: Darren McCoy WU ‘06, Matt Sazima WU ‘13, Derek Sup WU ‘13. The performance features Honey Wilson on piano, and Jason Pegis on cello, and Derek Sup on organ. The concert is the brainchild of Nick Newman WU ‘16, a close friend to Mike who, upon hearing of his untimely passing, felt compelled to remember him and his many gifts.

Prelude: Chorale Variations on Ein Feste Burg by John Peel (I. Chorale, II. Lament, III. Maestoso); Derek Sup, organ
Episode I: Inroit and Kyrie by Darren McCoy; solos by Nick Newman, Connor Soejoto, Michelle Mendoza, Madison Hall
Episode II: Dies Irae by Derek Sup; Alec Chase, tenor solo
Episode III: Sanctus by Matt Sazima
Episode IV: Agnus Dei by Derek Sup; Joellen Sweeney, alto solo
Episode V: Lux Aeterna by Derek Sup; Joellen Sweeney, alto solo Episode
VI: In Paradisum by Matt Sazima; Rick Jones, bass solo

Dies Irae
The Dies Irae, or “Day of Wrath” is a Latin sequence about the Last Judgment that is often included in Requiem Masses, and it is often the darkest part of the work. Minor keys, extreme dynamics, fast tempos, and high intensity are common characteristics of the Dies Irae, which prophesizes the day when the trumpet will sound and all souls will be summoned before God, where they will either be granted eternal salvation in heaven or condemned to eternal damnation in hell.
Basing a requiem around Star Wars came naturally enough, as many aspects of the saga are referential to Christian ideology. The struggle between good and evil is a prevalent theme in Star Wars as it is in the Christian faith. The dichotomies in Christianity like heaven and hell or the righteous and sinner are reflected in the battles between the Sith and the Jedi or the dark side and the light side of the force. The conflict is both external and internal. It is external in the combat between the Empire and the Republic, and internal in the moral dilemma portrayed in protagonists and antagonists Luke and Aniken Skywalker (Darth Vader). These characters each must give in to or resist the calling of the dark side, similar to the temptations of sin and the influence of the devil as understood by Christians.
The Day of Wrath is the moment of reckoning when God descends to earth, consuming all in flames and ashes. In Episode IV, Obi Wan Kenobi senses the Empire’s sudden destruction of a distant world that very closely resembles apocalyptic descriptions in the Dies Irae. He feels a “great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced.” The Empire and the Sith are the deliverers of total destruction, and the only hope can be found in the heroism of Obi Wan, Luke Skywalker, and the rest of the Jedi.
I used John Williams’s Duel of Fates and the Imperial March as thematic material for the Dies Irae, which are both well-suited for the fire-and-brimstone tone of this movement. In Duel of Fates, a rapid, incessant figure runs through the entirety of the piece, which can be heard throughout my adaptation in the left hand of the organ. The chorus in Duel of Fates sings in Sanskrit, and it was simple enough to supplant one classical language for another. William’s original music already evokes a religious feeling with the use of the chorus singing an ancient language, sounding similar in tone to a Bach Passion or Mozart or Verdi requiem. The ominous, unmistakable melody of the Imperial March that signals the approach of Darth Vader serves as the low, quaking bass melody played in the organ pedals, and provides a foreboding bedrock for the impending doom of the text.
Agnus Dei and Lux Aeterna
The Agnus Dei and Lux Aeterna are requests to God and Jesus Christ that they accept the soul which has departed from the earthly realm. It provides a foil for the utter darkness of the Dies Irae, asking that Jesus Christ and God provide eternal light and rest to the deceased to escape the wrath of hell. One of the most powerful and wisest agents of good in Star Wars is the Jedi Master Yoda. As he lay on his death bed, he tells his protege Luke Skywalker, “Soon will I rest, yes, forever sleep. Earned it I have. Twilight is upon me, soon night must fall.” Beyond providing literal themes to the requiem such as “rest” and “forever sleep,” this quote touches on the subject of physical versus metaphysical existence in Star Wars. Though Yoda’s corporeal form perishes, he continues to talk to Luke through the Force after his death, just as Jesus Christ walks and talks among the disciples after he is crucified. In this way, the Force grants eternal life to Jedis in the way that they are able to spiritually communicate with each other regardless of their physical presence on earth. I use John Williams’s lush Princess Leia theme for both the Agnus Dei and the Lux Aeterna. The alto soloist sings Yoda’s words to this soaring melody, while the choir sings the Latin words of the Requiem in swelling harmonies. As the piece climaxes, the choir ascends to higher, more complex chords, while the soloist gradually descends and diminishes, repeating the words, “night must fall.” This is the metaphysical overtaking the physical, the body being laid down to rest as the soul ascends to eternal salvation, to become fully one with the Force. Mike has now found his eternal rest, and this music is the soundtrack for his journey to that new realm. I wish so dearly that he could be here physically to experience this music with us, as I can see him being more stoked on this project than anyone. He will always be with us through the Force, as it was always so very strong with him. May the Force be with you, Mike, forever and ever.