World Première Britten War Requiem Recorded live at Coventry Cathedral, May 1962 · Previously unpublished Peter Pears · Heather Harper · Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra · Melos Ensemble Meredith Davies · Benjamin Britten

TESTAMEN T Benjamin Britten – 1913-1976 Sanctus War Requiem, Op.66 14 Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus (soprano & chorus) 6.03 15 After the blast of lightning (baritone) 3.48 In loving memory of Roger Burney, Sub-Lieutenant, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Agnus Dei Piers Dunkerley, Captain, Royal Marines 16 One ever hangs (tenor & chorus) 4.05 David Gill, Ordinary Seaman, Royal Navy Michael Halliday, Lieutenant, Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve Libera me Latin texts from Missa pro defunctis · Poems by Wilfred Owen 17 Libera me, Domine (chorus & soprano) 6.49 My subject is War, and the pity of War. 18 It seemed that out of battle I escaped (tenor & baritone) 9.29 The Poetry is in the pity… 19 Let us sleep now ... In paradisum (baritone, tenor, boys’ choir, soprano & chorus) 5.32 All a poet can do today is warn. (Wilfred Owen) Recorded in Coventry Cathedral, 30 May, 1962 80.50 Requiem aeternam 1 Requiem aeternam (chorus & boys' choir) 5.26 2 What passing bells for these who die as cattle? (tenor & chorus) 3.48 Peter Pears – tenor · Heather Harper – soprano Dies irae 3 Dies irae (chorus) 4.12 Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau – baritone 4 Bugles sang (baritone) 2.14 Coventry Festival Choir · The boys of Holy Trinity, Leamington and Holy Trinity, Stratford 5 Liber scriptus proferetur (soprano & chorus) 2.58 City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra 6 Out there, we walked quite friendly up to death (tenor & baritone) 1.54 7 Recordare Jesu pie (chorus) 4.33 conducted by Meredith Davies 8 Be slowly lifted up (baritone) 2.01 Melos Ensemble 9 Dies irae (chorus) 1.10 conducted by Benjamin Britten 10 Lacrimosa dies illa (soprano & chorus) 1.46 11 Move him into the sun (tenor, soprano & chorus) 4.50 The original recording was made by the BBC Offertorium MONO Digital remastering ൿ 2013 Testament. Ꭿ Testament, 2013 12 Domine Jesu Christe (boys' choir & chorus) 3.42 Digital remastering by Paul Baily at Re:Sound 13 So Abram rose (tenor, baritone, boys' choir & chorus) 6.19 Front cover photo: The composer and Heather Harper at a reheasal in Coventry Cathedral

2 3 I. Requiem aeternam II. Dies irae 1 3 Chorus Chorus Chorus Chorus Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine; Lord, grant them eternal rest; Dies irae, dies illa, This day, this day of wrath et lux perpetua luceat eis. and let the perpetual light shine upon them. Solvet saeclum in favilla: Shall consume the world in ashes, Teste David cum Sibylla. As foretold by David and Sibyl. Boys Boys Quantus tremor est futurus, What trembling there shall be Te decet hymnus, Deus in Sion: Thou shalt have praise in Zion, oh God: Quando Judex est venturus, When the judge shall come et tibi reddetur votum in Jerusalem; and homage shall be paid to thee in Jerusalem; Cuncta stricte discussurus! To weigh everything strictly. exaudi orationem meam, hear my prayer, Tuba mirum spargens sonum The trumpet, scattering its awful sound ad te omnis caro veniet. all flesh shall come before Thee. Per sepulchra regionum Across the graves of all lands Chorus Chorus Coget omnes ante thronum. Summons all before the throne. Mors stupebit et natura, Death and nature shall be stunned Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine; Lord, grant them eternal rest; Cum resurget creatura, When mankind arises et lux perpetua luceat eis. and let the perpetual light shine upon them. Judicanti responsura. To render account before the judge. 2 Tenor 4 Baritone What passing bells for these who die as cattle? Bugles sang, saddening the evening air; Only the monstrous anger of the guns. And bugles answered, sorrowful to hear. Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle Voices of boys were by the river-side. Can patter out their hasty orisons Sleep mothered them; and left the twilight sad. No mockeries for them from prayers or bells, The shadow of the morrow weighed on men. Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs, -- Voices of old despondency resigned, The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells; Bowed by the shadow of the morrow, slept. And bugles calling for them from sad shires. 5 What candles may be held to speed them all? Soprano Soprano Not in the hands of boys, but in their eyes Liber scriptus proferetur, The written book shall be brought Shall shine the holy glimmers of good-byes. In quo totum continetur, In which all is contained The pallor of girls' brows shall be their pall; Unde mundus judicetur. Whereby the world shall be judged. Their flowers the tenderness of silent minds, Judex ergo cum sedebit When the judge takes his seat And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds. Quidquid latet, apparebut: All that is hidden shall appear: Chorus Chorus Nil inultum remanebit. Nothing will remain unavenged. Kyrie eleison Lord, have mercy upon them Chorus Chorus Christe eleison Christ, have mercy upon them Quid sum miser tunc dicturus? What shall I, a wretch, say then? Kyrie eleison Lord, have mercy upon them Quem patronem rogaturus, To which protector shall I appeal Cum vix justus sit securus? When even the just man is barely safe? Soprano and Chorus Soprano and Chorus Rex tremendae majestatis, King of awful majesty, Qui salvandos salvas gratis, Who freely savest those worthy of salvation, 4 5 Salva me, fons pietatis. Save me, fount of pity. 8 Baritone 6 Tenor and Baritone Be slowly lifted up, thou long black arm, Out there, we've walked quite friendly up to Death: Great gun towering toward Heaven, about to curse; Sat down and eaten with him, cool and bland,- Reach at that arrogance which needs thy harm, Pardoned his spilling mess-tins in our hand. And beat it down before its sins grow worse; We've sniffed the green thick odour of his breath,- But when thy spell be cast complete and whole, Our eyes wept, but our courage didn't writhe. May God curse thee, and cut thee from our soul! He's spat at us with bullets and he's coughed 9 Shrapnel. We chorused when he sang aloft; Chorus Chorus We whistled while he shaved us with his scythe. Dies irae, dies illa, This day, this day of wrath Oh, Death was never enemy of ours! Solvet saeclum in favilla: Shall consume the world in ashes, We laughed at him, we leagued with him, old chum. Teste David cum Sibylla. As foretold by David and Sibyl. No soldier's paid to kick against his powers. Quantus tremor est futurus, What trembling there shall be We laughed, knowing that better men would come, Quando Judex est venturus, When the judge shall come And greater wars; when each proud fighter brags Cuncta stricte discussurus! To weigh everything strictly. 10 He wars on Death - for Life; not men - for flags. Soprano and Chorus Soprano and Chorus 7 Chorus Chorus Lacrimosa dies illa, Oh this day full of tears Recordare Jesu pie, Remember, gentle Jesus, Qua resurget ex favilla, When from the ashes arises Quod sum causa tuae viae: That I am the reason for Thy time on earth, Judicandus homo reus: Guilty man, to be judged: Ne me perdas illa die. Do not cast me out on that day. Huic ergo parce Deus. Oh Lord, have mercy upon him. 11 Quarens me, sedisti lassus: Seeking me, Thou didst sink down wearily, Tenor Redemisti crucem passus: Thou hast saved me by enduring the cross, Move him into the sun - Tantus labor non sit cassus: Such travail must not be in vain. Gently its touch awoke him once, Ingemisco, tamquam reus: I groan, like the sinner that I am, At home, whispering of fields unsown. Culpa rubet vultus meus: Guilt reddens my face, Always it woke him, even in France, Supplicanti parce Deus. Oh God spare the supplicant. Until this morning and this snow. Qui Mariam absolvisti, Thou, who pardoned Mary If anything might rouse him now Et latronem exaudisti, And heeded the thief, The kind old sun will know. Mihi quoque spem dedisti. Hast given me hope as well. Inter oves locum praesta, Give me a place among the sheep Soprano and Chorus Soprano and Chorus Et ab haedis me sequestra, And separate me from the goats, Lacrimosa dies illa... Oh this day full of tears... Statuens in parte dextra. Let me stand at Thy right hand. Confutatis maledictis, When the damned are cast away Tenor Flammis acribus addictis, And consigned to the searing flames, Think how it wakes the seeds - Voca me cum benedictis. Call me to be with the blessed. Woke, once, the clays of a cold star. Oro supplex et acclinis Bowed down in supplication I beg Thee, Are limbs, so dear-acheived, are sides, Cor contritum quasi cinis My heart as though ground to ashes: Full-nerved - still warm - too hard to stir? Gere curam mei finis. Help me in my last hour. Was it for this the clay grew tall? 6 7 Soprano and Chorus Soprano and Chorus And builded parapets and trenches there, ...Qua resurget ex favilla... And streched forth the knife to slay his son. ...When from the ashes arises... When lo! an angel called him out of heaven, Tenor Saying, Lay not thy hand upon the lad, Was it for this the clay grew tall? Neither do anything to him. Behold, A ram, caught in a thicket by its horns; Soprano and Chorus Soprano and Chorus Offer the Ram of Pride instead of him. ...Judicandus homo reus. ...Guilty man, to be judged. But the old man would not so, but slew his son, - Tenor And half the seed of Europe, one by one. - O what made fatuous sunbeams toil To break earth's sleep at all? Boys Boys Hostias et preced tibi Domine Lord, in praise we offer to Thee Chorus Chorus laudis offerimus; tu suscipe pro sacrifices and prayers, do Thou receive them Gentle Lord Jesus, grant them rest. Pie Jesu Domine, dona eis requiem. animabus illis, quarum hodie for the souls of those whom we remember Amen. Amen. memoriam facimus: fac eas, Domine, this day: Lord, make them pass de morte transire ad vitam. from death to life. III. Offertorium Quam olim Abrahae promisisti As Thou didst promise Abraham 12 en semini ejus. and his seed. Boys Boys Domine Jesu Christe, Rex gloriae, Lord Jesus Christ, King of glory, Chorus Chorus libera animas omnium fidelium deliver the souls of the faithful ...Quam olim Abrahae promisisti ...As Thou didst promise Abraham defunctorum de poenis inferni, departed from the pains of hell, et semini ejus. and his seed. et de profundo lacu: and the bottomless pit: libera eas de ore leonis, ne absorbeat eas deliver them from the jaw of the lion, lest hell IV. Sanctus tartarus, ne cadant in obscurum. engulf them, lest they be plunged into darkness. 14 Soprano and Chorus Soprano and Chorus Chorus Chorus Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus Holy, holy, holy Sed signifer sanctus Michael But let the holy standard-bearer Michael Dominus Deus Saboath. repraesentet eas in lucem sanctam: lead them into the holy light Lord God of hosts. Pleni sunt ceoli et terra gloria tua, Heaven and earth are full of Thy glory. Quam olim Abrahae promisisti, as Thou didst promise Abraham Hosanna in excelsis. et semini ejus. and his seed. Hosanna in the highest. Sanctus. Holy. 13 Tenor and Baritone Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini. Blessed is he who cometh in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in excelsis. So Abram rose, and clave the wood, and went, Hosanna in the highest. Sanctus. And took the fire with him, and a knife. Holy. 15 And as they sojourned both of them together, Baritone Isaac the first-born spake and said, My Father, After the blast of lighning from the East, Behold the preparations, fire and iron, The flourish of loud clouds, the Chariot Throne; But where the lamb for this burnt-offering? After the drums of time have rolled and ceased, Then Abram bound the youth with belts and straps, 8 9 And by the bronze west long retreat is blown, Tenor Shall life renew these bodies? Of a truth But they who love the greater love All death will He annul, all tears assuage? - Lay down their life; they do not hate. Fill the void veins of Life again with youth, And wash, with an immortal water, Age? Chorus Chorus When I do ask white Age he saith not so: ...Dona eis requiem sempiternam. ...Grant them eternal rest. "My head hangs weighed with snow." And when I hearken to the Earth, she saith: Tenor Tenor "My fiery heart shrinks, aching. It is death. Dona nobis pacem. Grant us peace. Mine ancient scars shalls not be glorified, Nor my titanic tears, the sea, be dried." VI. Libera me 17 V. Agnus Dei Chorus Chorus Libera me, Domine, de morte aeterna, Deliver me, O Lord, from eternal death 16 Tenor in die illa tremenda: in that awful day One ever hangs where shelled roads part. Quando coeli movendi sunt et terra: when the heavens and earth shall be shaken In this war He too lost a limb, Dum veneris judicare saeculum per ignem. when Thou shalt come to judge the world by fire. But His disciples hide apart; Soprano and Chorus Soprano and Chorus And now the Soldiers bear with Him. Tremens factus sum ego, et timeo I am seized with fear and trembling, Chorus Chorus dum discussio venerit, atque ventura ira. until the trial shall be at hand and the wrath to come. Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world, Libera me, Domine, de morte aeterna. Deliver me, O Lord, from eternal death. dona eis requiem. grant them rest. Quando coeli movendi sunt i terra. When the heavens and earth shall be shaken. Dies illa, dies irae, calamitatis That day, that day of wrath, of calamity Tenor et miseriae, dies magna et amara valde. and misery, a great day and exceeding bitter. Near Golgatha strolls many a priest, Libera me, Domine. Deliver me, O Lord. And in their faces there is pride 18 That they were flesh-marked by the Beast Tenor By whom the gentle Christ's denied. It seems that out of battle I escaped Down some profound dull tunnel, long since scooped Chorus Chorus Through granites which titanic wars had groined. Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world, Yet also there encumbered sleepers groaned, dona eis requiem. grant them rest. Too fast in thought or death to be bestirred. Then, as I probed them, one sprang up, and stared Tenor With piteous recognition in fixed eyes, The scribes on all the people shove Lifting distressful hands as if to bless. and bawl allegiance to the state, And no guns thumped, or down the flues made moan. Chorus Chorus "Strange friend," I said, "here is no cause to mourn." Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi... Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world...

10 11 Baritone Soprano Soprano "None", said the other, "save the undone years, Chorus Angeloru, te suscipiat etc . May the Choir of Angels, etc . The hopelessness. Whatever hope is yours, Tenor and Baritone Was my life also; I went hunting wild After the wildest beauty in the world, Let us sleep now. For by my glee might many men have laughed, Chorus Chorus And of my weeping something had been left, Requiescant in pace. Amen. Let them rest in peace. Amen. Which must die now. I mean the truth untold, The pity of war, the pity war distilled. Now men will go content with what we spoiled. Or, discontent, boil bloody, and be spilled. They will be swift with swiftness of the tigress, None will break ranks, though nations trek from progress. Miss we the march of this retreating world Into vain citadels that are not walled. Then, when much blood had clogged their chariot-wheels I would go up and wash them from sweet wells, Even from wells we sunk too deep for war, Even from the sweetest wells that ever were. I am the enemy you killed, my friend. I knew you in this dark; for so you frowned Yesterday through me as you jabbed and killed. I parried; but my hands were loath and cold. Let us sleep now..." 19 Boys, then Chorus, then Soprano Boys, then Chorus, then Soprano In paridisum deducant te Angeli; Into Paradise may the Angels lead thee: in tuo adventu suscipiant te Martyres, at thy coming may the Martyrs receive thee, et perducant te in civitatem sanctam and bring thee into the holy city Jerusalem. Chorus Angelorum te suscipiat, Jerusalem. May the Choir of Angels receive thee et cum Lazaro quondam paupere aeternam and with Lazarus, once poor, habeas requiem. may thou have eternal rest. Boys Boys Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine: Lord, grant them eternal rest, et lux perpetua luceat eis. and let the perpetual light shine upon them. Chorus Chorus In paradisum deducant etc . Into Paradise, etc .

12 13 SBT 1490

Peter Pears & Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau at a rehearsal