Memorial (René Clausen)

It sets the beloved bereavement poem 'Do not stand at my grave and weep,' which is commonly attributed to Mary Elizabeth Frye. The poem's comforting imagery is what gives the work its widespread use at funerals and memorials.

Clausen wrote it in 2002 in response to the September 11 attacks. It has since become one of the go-to American choral works for communal mourning and remembrance events.

Clausen (born 1953) is an American composer and conductor best known for leading The Concordia Choir of Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, for over three decades. That choir's recordings helped circulate his choral music widely.

It is scored for mixed chorus with sustained, lyrical lines and rich, slowly building harmonies, placing it at a moderate level of difficulty for a good amateur choir. Its emotional directness is a big reason it is so often programmed for September 11 commemorations and memorial services.