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SURROUND SOUND VIII
Texts and Translations
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (c 1525 – 1594) | Sicut Cervus
Palestrina worked in Rome, much of his time in service of the Popes and in the churches of the city. During his life, major musical reforms were encouraged, where clarity of words was of supreme importance. Palestrina’s many masses and motets modelled this style perfectly, and his techniques are studied in composition classes to this day. The text is from Psalm 42.
Sicut cervus desiderat ad fontes aquarum, ita desiderat anima mea ad te, Deus.
Like as the hart desireth the water-brooks: so longeth my soul after thee, O God.
Philippe de Monte (c1521 – 1603) | Super flumina Babylonis
De Monte was a Flemish composer, who spent time in Italy, Rome and Naples, and latterly in the Habsburg court, in Vienna and Prague. He was a prolific composer, writing some 40 masses, 260 sacred motets or ‘spiritual madrigals’ and over 1100 secular madrigals. Super flumina Babylonis is thought to have been written after a court visit to England, the text, from Psalm 137, referring to exile, alluding to the Catholic faith, which England had left at the reformation.
Super flumina Babylonis illic sedimus et flevimus, dum recordaremur Sion.
Illic interrogaverunt nos, qui captivos abduxerunt nos, verba cantionum.
Quomodo cantabimus canticum Domini in terra aliena?
In salicibus in medio eius suspendimus organa nostra.
By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept, when we remembered thee, O Sion.
For they that led us away captive required of us then a song.
How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?
As for our harps, we hanged them up upon the trees that are therein.
Giaches De Wert (c1535 – 1596) | Ascendente Jesu in naviculam
De Wert was a Franco-Flemish composer active in Italy, at Mantua and Ferrara. He was a pioneer in developing the late renaissance madrigal style, expressing the text through dramatic musical effects. Monteverdi’s compositions were influenced by de Wert, being a pupil of his at Mantua. Ascendente Jesu naviculam describes the narratives in the gospels of the crossing of the sea of Galilee, and the miracle of the calming of the storm.
Ascendente Jesu in naviculam,
secuti sunt eum discipuli eius
et ecce motus magnus factus est in mari
ita ut navicula operiretur fluctibus
ipse vero dormiebat
et accesserunt ad eum discipuli eius
et suscitaverunt eum dicentes:
Domine salva nos perimus.
Et dicit eis Jesus:
Quid timidi estis modicae fidei:
Tunc surgens imperavit ventis et mari
et facta est tranquillitas magna.
When Jesus entered into the boat,
his disciples followed him:
And behold a great tempest arose in the sea, so that the boat was covered with waves, but he was asleep.
And they came to him, and awaked him, saying:
Lord, save us, we perish.
And Jesus saith to them:
Why are you fearful, O ye of little faith?
Then rising up, he commanded the winds, and the sea, and there came a great calm.
Claudio Monteverdi (1567 – 1643) | Ave Maris stella
Monteverdi was for a long spell a court musician and composer of madrigals at the court of Mantua; after his masterpiece of opera L’Orfeo, and a setting of the Vespers, he was elected to the most coveted post in Italy, the directorship of St Mark’s, Venice. Ave Maris stella is the hymn from the Vespers, written in 1610; based on the plainchant, the melody is prominent in the upper voices.
Ave, maris stella,
Dei Mater alma,
Atque semper Virgo,
Felix caeli porta.
Sumens illud Ave
Gabrielis ore,
Funda nos in pace,
Mutans Evae nomen
Solve vincla reis,
Profer lumen caecis,
Mala nostra pelle,
Bona cuncta posce
Sit laus Deo Patri,
Summo Christo decus
Spiritui Sancto,
Tribus honor unus. Amen.
Hail, star of the sea,
loving Mother of God,
and ever virgin,
Happy gate of heaven.
Receiving that Ave
from Gabriel's mouth
confirm us in peace,
Reversing Eva's name.
Break the chains of sinners,
Bring light to the blind,
Drive away our evils,
Ask for all good.
Praise be to God the Father,
Glory to Christ in the highest,
To the Holy Spirit,
One honour in three.
Amen.
Traditional spiritual, arranged L Adams | Wade in the water
Wade in the water,
wade in the water, children,
wade in the water,
God’s gonna trouble the water.
Who’s that yonder dressed in white?
The leader looks like an Israelite,
You see that band all dressed in red?
It looks like the band that Moses led.
Wade in the water,
wade in the water, children,
wade in the water,
God’s gonna trouble the water.
Loch Lomond Traditional Scottish, arr M Williams
By yon bonnie banks and by yon bonnie braes,
Where the sun shines bright on Loch Lomond,
Where me and my true love were ever wont to gae,
On the bonnie, bonnie banks o' Loch Lomond.
O ye'll tak' the high road, and I'll tak' the low road,
And I'll be in Scotland a'fore ye,
But me and my true love will never meet again,
On the bonnie, bonnie banks o' Loch Lomond.
'Twas there that we parted, in yon shady glen,
On the steep, steep side o' Ben Lomond,
Where purple hue, the Highland hills we view,And the moon coming out in the gloaming.
The wee birdies sing and the wild flowers spring,
And in sunshine the waters are sleeping.
But the broken heart it kens nae second spring again,
Though the waeful may cease frae their greetin’.
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