The orchestra detailed
Whilst we were away we attended a concert of operatic love songs given by a group of musicians consisting of flute, oboe, clarinet, string quartet, bass and piano/harpsichord.
Continue readingThe orchestra detailed
Whilst we were away we attended a concert of operatic love songs given by a group of musicians consisting of flute, oboe, clarinet, string quartet, bass and piano/harpsichord.
Continue readingDies ille, dies irae?
In approaching the translation of the Latin text:
Dies ille, dies lunæ
Semper venit opportune
Rogo vos et quæro id
Quid est quod et quod est quid?
| Y Gŵr wrth Ffynnon Jacob |
Y Gŵr wrth Ffynnon Jacob
Eisteddodd gynt i lawr,
Tramwyodd drwy Samaria,
Tramwyed yma'n awr;
'R oedd syched arno yno
Am gael eu hachub hwy,
Mae syched arno eto
Am achub llawer mwy.
Mwy, mwy am achub llawer mwy,
Mae syched arno eto
Am achub llawer mwy.
Y Gwr fu ar Galfaria
A welir ddydd a ddaw,
Yn eistedd ar ei orsedd,
A'r glorian yn ei law;
A phawb a gesglir ato
I'w pwyso ger ei fron,
O! f'enaid, cais dduwioldeb
A dry y glorian hon.
Hon, hon a dry y glorian hon.
O! f'enaid, cais dduwioldeb
A dry y glorian hon.
The man at Jacob's Well
He sat down quickly [there],
[Then] went through Samaria
[And, lo,] (comes) here now;
He there [he] was thirsty
For them to be saved,
(More) thirsty again
For (many) more [to] save.
More, more, much more to save,
(More) thirsty again
For (many) more [to] save.
The man who on Calvary
[Had] seen [the] day [that] comes,
[When] seated on his throne,
[With] the scales in his hand;
And all [the people] collected
To be weighed before him,
Oh! my soul, apply (his blood)
And this will turn the scales.
This, this (only) will turn the scales.
Oh! my soul, apply (his blood)
And this will turn the scales.
Words: Thomas William (1761-1844), TP and possibly ANO (if you know who they are, please let me know). Translation: Nantlais Williams and circa Google.
Music (Bryniau Casia): Hen (‘old’) Alaw which may be a pen name a device traditionally used in the Eisteddfof competitions.
The copyright of this arrangement of the music is held by Stuart Moffatt (© 2008).
The midi file was produced using Noteworthy Composer.
The mp3 was produced using Myriad software.
On CPDL and NWC Scriptorium
See also Wicidestun and gobaith.cymru for alternative words to the second verse and Bethany Ammanford 1954 for congregational singing. See also here
This translation from a slightly different set of Welsh words is interesting:
The Man at Jacob’s Well sat down before,
he passed through Samaria, he passed here now;
he was thirsty there to save them,
he is thirsty again to save many more.
More, more, to save much more,
He thirsts again to save much more.
We think light to see your glory, Oh! God,
And who calls us to drink living waters;
And leave our wells and our own water-vessels
To drink fresh waters from the well of the Son of Man.
More, more, to save much more,
He thirsts again to save much more.
The Grand Old Duke of York
Traditional
O, the Grand old Duke of York
He had ten thousand men
He marched them up to the top of the hill
And he marched them down again.
And when they were up, they were up
And when they were down, they were down
And when they were only halfway up
They were neither up nor down.
No more tears – Sylvia Armanious © 2004
No more tears for me to cry.
No more days where I have to lie.
No more sadness to darken my day.
No more rain to fog my way*.
No more pain in my life.
No more fear of death by man’s** knife
No more tears for me to cry.
No more tears,
No more tears for me.
Altered: *daydreams **getting killed with life’s
ChoralWiki and Noteworthy Scriptorium
Sylvia Armanious was an Egyptian Coptic Christian whose family fled persecution to New Jersey. The poem above written in 2004 reveals Sylvia’s thoughts as she reflects upon the changes that this brought about in her life. In January 2005 she and her family (Monica, 9, herself, 15, Hossam, 47, and Amal, 37) were found having been stabbed to death in their new home. Dear reader, you may read more here (Christianity Today), here (New York Post) and here (New York Times). Whilst the motive for their murder may have been misunderstood the report from the Coptic Church, speaks well of the family and of Sylvia.
The copyright of the music is held by Stuart Moffatt (© 2004).
The midi file was produced using Noteworthy Composer.
The mp3/ogg were produced using Myriad software.
Death is nothing at all
I have only slipped away into the next room
I am I and you are you
Whatever we were to each other
That we are still
Call me by my old familiar name
Speak to me in the easy way you always used
Put no difference into your tone
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow
Laugh as we always laughed
At the little jokes we always enjoyed together
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me
Let my name be ever the household word that it always was
Let it be spoken without effect
Without the ghost of a shadow in it
Life means all that it ever meant
It is the same as it ever was
There is absolute unbroken continuity
What is death but a negligible accident?
Why should I be out of mind
Because I am out of sight?
I am waiting for you for an interval
Somewhere very near
Just around the corner
All is well.
Nothing is past; nothing is lost
One brief moment and all will be as it was before
Only better, infinitely happier and forever
We will all be one together with Christ.
Canon Henry Scott-Holland, 1847 1918, Canon of St Paul’s Cathedral
Coco does not necessarily endorse or agree with any views or theological statements, which belong solely to the authors thereof, expressed in any of the content of this web page.
ChoralWiki and Noteworthy Scriptorium
The copyright of the music is held by Stuart Moffatt (© 2004).
The midi file was produced using Noteworthy Composer.
The mp3/ogg were produced using Myriad software.
A stirring set of words from Richard Woodroffe (Handel’s Limerick)
Said Handel: Please don’t call me Herr
I’m really British
Said Handel: Please don’t call me Herr
I’m really quite British so there!
And please, ven I croak,
I vould like (for a joke)
A coffin marked: ‘Handel with care’.”
Said Handel: Please don’t call me Herr
I’m really quite British so there!
so there!
I’m really quite British so there!
so there!
And please, ven I croak,
I vould like (for a joke)
A coffin marked: ‘Handel with care’.”
‘Handel with care’.
Said Handel: Please don’t call me Herr
I’m really quite British so there!
And please, ven I croak,
I vould like (for a joke)
A coffin marked: ‘Handel with care’.”
© 2004 Richard Woodroffe
The copyright of the music is held by Stuart Moffatt (© 2004).
The midi file was produced using Noteworthy Composer.
The mp3/ogg were produced using Myriad software.
There once was a ‘puter geek whose name was Jack
He lived by himself in a little shack
He worked for A Consulting firm as you shall learn
And the Accenture was always on what he could earn.
Oh Jack, why don’t you marry?
Oh, Jack, why don’t you live?
Oh Jack, why don’t you marry?
There is so much more that you could give.