Author: horncabbage@aol.com

 

Let Evening Come, poem of Jane Kenyon, sung by the Peninsula Women’s Chorus under Martin Benvenuto.

There will come soft rains, poems of Sara Teasdale, sung by Kamerkoor Koriolis Gent (Belgium), conducted by Joris Derder. 

when god lets my body be, poem of e e cummings,sung and performed by Choral Chameleon Chorus, Vince Peterson, Artistic Director.

Roger Bobo Plays the Tuba, poem of John Updike, St. Louis Children’s Chorus.  You can access the words here.

The Brown Birds, poem of Eleanor Farjeon, sung by San Francisco Choral Artists, Magen Solomon, Artistic Director.

Christ’s Birthday, poem of Emily Dickinson, iSing Silicon Valley GirlChoir. You may read the words here.

The Song of Mr. Toad, from The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame; Vivace Youth Chorus, Peggy Spool, music director; Jerry Holmes, baritone saxophone.

Musical Moment, Philip Brunelle shares three of my carols (The Shepherds Carol, Who will come to Bethlehem, The Shepherd and the King).

The Shepherd and the King, poem of Eleanor Farjeon, NEWVoices choir, Philip Swan, Artistic Director.

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Soprano:

Behind me – dips Eternity –
Before Me – Immortality
Myself – the Term between –
Death but the Drift of Eastern Gray,
Dissolving into Dawn away,
Before the West begin –

Chorus

Libera me, Domine, de morte aeterna,    Deliver me, Lord, from death eternal,
in die illa tremenda:                                     On that dreadful day:
Quando coeli movendi sunt et terra: when the heavens and the earth shall quake,
Dum veneris judicare                                   when thou shalt come
saeculum per ignem.                                     to judge the world by fire.

Sorpano:

‘Tis Kingdoms – afterward – they say –
In perfect – pauseless Monarchy –
Whose Prince – is Son of None –
Himself – His Dateless Dynasty –
Himself – Himself diversify –
In Duplicate divine –

Chorus:

Tremens factus sum ego, et timeo                      I am seized by trembling, and I fear
dum discussio venerit,                                          until the judgment should come,
atque ventura ira.                                                   and I also dread the coming wrath.

Soprano:

‘Tis Miracle before Me – then –
‘Tis Miracle behind – between –
A Crescent in the Sea –
With midnight to the North of Her –
And Midnight to the South of Her –
And Maelstrom – in the sky

Chorus:

Dies illa, dies irae                                               On that day, day of wrath
Calamitatis et miseriae                                   day of calamity and misery
Dies magna et amara valde,                          momentous day, and exceedingly bitter
Dum veneris judicare                                       when thou shalt come
Saeculum per ignem.                                        To judge the world by fire.

Requiem aeternam dona eis, domine:                  Rest eternal grant to them, O Lord
et lux perpetua luceat eis.                                      and let perpetual light shine on them.

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Here is a link to a recording.

Here is the next movement, I shall keep singing!

During her life, Emily Dickinson published few of her poems. I shall keep singing! expresses her assurance that her voice will eventually be hear – later that the birds, perhaps – but all the sweeter for being later.

Soprano:

I shall keep singing!
Birds will pass me
On their way to Yellower Climes –
Each – with a Robin’s expectation –
I – with my Redbreast –
And my Rhymes –

Late – when I take my place in summer –
But – I shall bring a fuller tune –
Vespers – are sweeter than Matins – Signor –
Morning – only the seed of Noon – (250)

There is little to choose.

Emily Dickinson, in a child’s voice, wonders about heaven.  Jasper is a precious stone associated (in Revelations) with the City of Heaven.  Those who are ransomed have been redeemed.

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3. What is – “Paradise”

What is – “Paradise” –
Who live there –
Are they “Farmers”–
Do they “hoe” –
Do they know that this is “Amherst” –
And that I – am coming – too –

Do they wear “new shoes” – in “Eden” –
Is it always pleasant – there –
Won’t they scold us – when we’re homesick –
Or tell God – how cross we are –

Are you sure there’s such a person
As “a Father” – in the sky –
So if I get lost – there – ever –
Or do what the Nurse calls “die” –

I shan’t walk the “Jasper” – barefoot –
Ransomed folks – won’t laugh at me –
Maybe – “Eden” a’n’t so lonesome
As New England used to be! (215)

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Here is a recording.  

Here is the next movement, Pie Jesu.

1. Introit

Soprano:

What Inn is this
Where for the night
Peculiar Traveler comes?
Who is the Landlord?
Where are the maids?
Behold, what curious rooms!
No ruddy fires on the hearth –
No brimming tankards flow – 
Necromancer! Landlord!
Who are these below? (115)
 
Chorus:

Requiem aeternam dona eis, domine:                  Rest eternal grant to them, O Lord
et lux perpetua luceat eis.                                       and let perpetual light shine on them.
 
  Soprano:

Safe in their alabaster Chambers –
Untouched by Morning 
And untouched by Noon –
Sleep the meek members of the Resurrection –
Rafter of satin, 
And roof of stone.
 
Chorus:

Requiem aeternam dona eis, domine:                  Rest eternal grant to them, O Lord
et lux perpetua luceat eis.                                       and let perpetual light shine on them.

Te decet hymnus Deus in Zion,                               A hymn befits thee, O God in Zion,
et tibi redetur                                                       And to thee a vow shall be fulfilled
votum in Jerusalem.                                              in Jerusalem.
Exaudi orationem meam,                                       Hear my prayer,
ad te omnis caro veniet.                                         for unto thee all flesh shall come.
 
Soprano:

Grand go the Years – in the Crescent – above them –
Worlds scoop their Arcs – 
And Firmaments – row –
Diadems – drop – and Doges – surrender –
Soundless as dots – on a Disk of Snow – (216)
 
Chorus:

Requiem aeternam dona eis, domine:    Rest eternal grant to them, O Lord
et lux perpetua luceat eis.                                and let perpetual light shine on them.
 

Here is a link to a recording. Here is a link to the next movement, Offertory.

Amherst Requiem is a work for soprano, mixed chorus, children’s chorus, and large orchestra.  It combines nine poems of Emily Dickinson, sung by the soprano, with the Latin missa pro defunctis (mass for the dead), sung by the choruses.

The premier performances were in November, 2008 at Memorial Church, Stanford University.  The performers were were Heidi Melton, soprano; the Stanford Symphonic Chorus (Stephen Sano, Director); Vivace Youth Chorus (Peggy Spool, Director); and the Peninsula Symphony Orchestra, under Mitchell Sardou Klein.

Here are the movements of Amherst Requiem.  Click on a movement title to access the words and music of that movement.  Each movement includes a link to the succeeding movement.

1. 1. 1. Introit
      2. Offertory
      3. What is – “Paradise” –
      4. Pie Jesu
      5. Responsory
      6.  I shall keep singing!
      7. In Paradisum

Two portions of Amherst Requiem have been published in different forms.  They are Pie Jesu, for children’s chorus and solo horn (Santa Barbara Music Publishing) and I shall keep singing! for treble chorus and harp (or piano) (Thorpe Music Publishing). Here is a link to Pie Jesu and here is a link to I shall keep signing!

Amherst Requiem won the American Prize in Choral Composition in 2012. There have been no performances since the premier.

Here are three more Emily Dickinson settings, this time for children’s chorus: A narrow fellow in the grass, I’m Nobody!, and The cricket sang.