33b, is a short a cappella choral piece by Icelandic composer Jón Leifs (1899–1968), dedicated to the memory of his daughter who drowned in a swimming accident shortly before her 18th birthday.
It is composed to a text which is a collage of Icelandic folk poetry and selections from a poem by Jónas Hallgrímsson.
The music has the character of a lullaby and together with the text evokes the idea of a parent singing to a sleeping child.
The piece is composed around an open fifth between A and E and constantly alternates between major and minor, ”giving it a serene halo mixing a sense of mystery, sadness and utter serenity“.
[1] Requiem is one of Leifs’ best-known compositions and contrasts with his general output, which is often described as "ungainly" and "dissonant".