a Motet for Mixed Choir (SATB) Phillip A. Cooke

Transcription

1 VERBUM CARO FACTUM EST a Motet for Mixed Choir (SATB) Phillip A. Cooke

2 VERBUM CARO FACTUM EST a Motet for Mixed Choir (SATB) (2009) PERFORMANCE NOTE Breath marks are suggestions only. solo alto sections can eith be taken by two membs of the choir situated within the main body of the choir, or placed off stage for distant effect. For Amelia, born 27 July 2009 Commissioned by Choir & Organ magazine for the Novemb/Decemb 2009 edition First pformed as part of the London Festival of Contemporary Church Music 2010 by the Choir of the Temple Church, conducted by James Vivian on the 09 May 2010 A recording of this piece is available on Phillip Cooke: Choral Music released on Regent Records, REGCD411 Duration: Co photograph: For more information: 6 minutes Candles in a church (Arne Kuilman) TET bum ca tum est et habitavit in nobis. ius gloriam vidimus quasi unigeniti a Patre, plenum gratie et itatis. In principio at bum et bum at apud Deum et Deus at bum. Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto. word became flesh and lived among us. Whose glory we saw as of the onlybegotten of the Fath Full of grace and truth. In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and God was the Glory be to the Fath and the Son and the Holy Spi Phillip A. Cooke (2009) Christmas Responsory: St John 1:14

3 PROGRAMME NOTE Some theologians consid the opening ses to the Gospel of John among the most pfound doctrinal statements in the Christian scriptures. "In the beginning was the Word..." relates back to the Creation story at the beginning of Genesis, as well as the Holy Wisdom (Hagia Sophia) thugh which all of creation passed. Yet the Gospel se does not end the; it pceeds to the holy mysty of the Incarnation: "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory glory like the onlybegotten of the Fath, full of glory and truth." (John 1:14). That Word, the Gospel writ tells, not only was a motive force in the Creation of the Unise, the same being on human flesh and came to live among us. famous text fm the "plogue" to John's Gospel appears only once in its complete form during the Catholic Church's annual pgress thugh the chanted liturgy, but it comes at a y special moment: the night before Christmas. Church practices discipline, selfreflection, and penitence for 40 days before the two highest holy days, East and Christmas. 40 days of Advent prepare each individual to receive the coming of the Christ child, which is celebrated on 25 Decemb. In the middle of the night, the long waiting is ended, and a long svice of worship celebrates the various stories of the first Christmas; the nocturnal liturgy culminates in the Midnight Mass, which is the complete celebration of the Child's taking on our flesh. And one of the last chants sung before the Mass begins is bum ca tum est. My setting of bum ca tum est takes the atmosphe and sense of anticipation in the Midnight Mass as the basis for a slow, reential meditation on these pfound words. work is largely homophonic, ebbing and flowing with the rhythm of the text; more animated and strident sections are present, but soon dissolve into the tranquillo e sostenuto matial. One major departure fm the original text is the use of the macanic form, whe the original Latin words are combined with fragments of the same text in English translation. This way of appaching traditional texts is something that I have used in recent pieces and gives a fresh appach to well known texts. English translation is only e sung by two solo altos (which can be placed off stage) which contrast with the main choir who sing the Latin original. PAC

4 CHRISTMAS RESPONSORY: ST. JOHN 1:14 for Amelia, born 27 July 2009 VERBUM CARO FACTUM EST a Motet for Mixed Choir (SATB) PHILLIP A. COOKE (2009) Soprano Libamente (senza misura) ( =c.80) Alto Soli* sempre, lontano word be came flesh. Tenor Bass * see pree for pformace details A 2 Lento: tranquillo e sostenuto ( = c.90) bum ca tum est bum ca tum est bum ca bum ca tum est Tutti* bum ca tum est bum ca bum ca tum est bum ca tum est bum ca bum ca tum est bum ca tum est bum ca Phillip A. Cooke 2009 (

5 2 7 tum est et hab allargando i ta vit in no bis in tum est et hab i ta vit in no bis in et in tum est hab i ta vit in no bis et in tum est hab i ta vit in no bis Libamente ( =c.80) 11 no bis. no bis. Soli sempre, lontano word be came flesh. no bis. no bis. no bis.

6 13 B come prima ( = c.90) ius glor i am vi di mus ius glor i am vi di mus 3 ius glor ius glor i am vi i am vi di mus di mus Tutti ius glor ius glor i am vi i am vi di mus di mus ius glor i am vi di mus ius glor i am vi di mus 17 qua a Maestoso (a tempo) si un i gen it i Pat re plen um gra tie et qua si un i gen it i a Pat re plen um gra tie et qua si un i gen it i a Pat re plen um gra tie et qua si un i gen it i a Pat re plen um gra tie et

7 4 22 i ta tis. i ta tis. Libamente ( =c.80) i ta tis. i ta tis. i ta tis. i ta tis. Soli sempre, lontano word was i ta tis. i ta tis. i ta tis. i ta tis. C 24 meno mosso ( =c.80) Tutti In prin ci pi o with God In prin ci pi o In prin ci pi o at bum In prin ci pi o at bum

8 28 at pochiss. accel. A tempo 5 at bum bum bum at ap ud De bum at ap ud De um et um et De De us us bum at ap ud De um et De us bum at ap ud De um et De us 32 at bum. Libamente ( =c.80) at bum. Soli sempre, lontano word be came flesh at bum. at bum. at bum.

9 6 D 35 Lento: tranquillo e sostenuto bum ca ( = c.90) tum est bum ca tum est bum ca bum ca tum est Tutti bum ca tum est bum ca bum ca tum est bum ca tum est bum ca bum ca tum est bum ca tum est bum ca Devotissimo, tranquillissimo ( = c.60) 40 tum est sempre Glor i a Pat ri et Fil i o et tum est Glor sempre i a Pat ri et Fil i o et sempre tum est Glor i a Pat ri et Fil i o et sempre tum est Glor i a Pat ri et Fil i o et sempre

10 Libamente ( =c.80) 7 45 Spir i tu i Sanc to. Sanc to. Soli sempre, lontano Spir Spir i tu i Sanc i tu i Sanc to. Sanc to. Sanc to. to. Spir i tu i Sanc to. Sanc to. Spir i tu i Sanc to. Sanc to. al fine. 48 dim. al fine. 48 Bloxham July Aug 2009