Initium sancti Evangelii secundum Joannem ("In principio erat Verbum" — The Beginning of the Holy Gospel according to John, "In the beginning was the Word") is a work for four-part choir, composed on commission. It takes its title from the traditional designation of the prologue to the Gospel of John (Jn 1:1–14), which begins with the words "In the beginning was the Word."
According to the Study Edition of the Slovenian Standard Translation (2015), John the Evangelist is probably not the author of the original prologue but rather adapted an existing Christian hymn. In the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, the text was often performed liturgically as a responsory at Christmas Matins.
"The choice of Latin is no coincidence. The prologue of John's Gospel held an important liturgical moment in the pre-conciliar Mass, where the priest would recite this text at the close of the rite, as a final spiritual gesture before the dismissal of the faithful. Latin, with its historical and liturgical weight, lends the work authenticity and timelessness, while emphasising the universality of the message."
— Anej Černe
The composer's distinctive creative approach is clearly revealed: the music is wholly subordinated to the text, which dictates the musical narrative. Černe follows the natural rhythm of Latin, its word stresses and pronunciation, deriving from these a variety of choral textures. The result is a music that does not emphasise the outer sound of the words, but seeks to illuminate their deeper, spiritual meaning.
In this, the work joins the long tradition of the Church Fathers — St. Augustine, Cyril of Jerusalem and Thomas Aquinas — who saw in the prologue the central message of the incarnation of the eternal Word. Černe, with his aesthetic sensitivity, translates it into the musical language of our time.
Programme note by Jana Erjavec