Heri et Hodie presents: Songs out of Isolation May 8th 7 pm Christ Church Cathedral
Kassiani (805/810 - before 865)
From a Good Root soloist Kate Gardin
Hymn of Cassia Fr. Stephen Meholick
O God-bearing Father soloist Erin Keesy
Chiara Cozzolani (1602 – ca. 1676–1678)
O dulcis Jesu soloists Erin Keesy & Jackie Stevens
Dialogo da Maria Magdalena soloists Jackie Stevens, Lauren McAllister, Ellen Graham, Kate Gardin continuo Brett Scott
Mirabai (1498 - 1546)
Two Mira Bhajans Traditional I. Savaro nandana II. Karam ki gati nyari soloist Vidita Kanniks
The Saffron Vidita Kanniks
Hildegard (1098 - 1179)
O virga ac Diadema chant O virga ac Diadema Ellen Harrison
O Orzchis Ecclesia chant O Orzchis Ecclesia Carlotta Ferrari PROGRAM NOTES, TEXTS AND TRANSLATIONS
The genesis of this concert has been something I have been ruminating on for several years. Having always been fascinated by the period of Hildegard’s life where she lived as an anchoress, (essentially walled up inside a small enclosure as a literal “anchor” of prayer for that monastic community) I have thought many times about how women have been able to find creativity in spite of (or perhaps, I mused, *because of*) the most confining spaces, sometimes metaphorically, sometimes as in Hildegard’s case, physically. As a modern child of post-Vatican II nuns in sweaters and sensible shoes, but raised by a mother who was taught by nuns in classic habits, so too was the life of the cloister fascinating to me and it was while visiting the cloistered abbey of Hildegard while pregnant with my eldest that I for the first time started to really consider what that mode of life meant for her and her creative output. Discovering the music of Chiara Cozzlani, an Italian early Baroque nun who was Benedictine just like Hildegard and so followed the same “rule” of convent life, was a beautiful surprise and I love her lush soaring vocal lines and also her passionate and emotional Latin texts. Both of her pieces have such ardent expressions of love that I feel they delicately skirt the line of agape into almost eros, especially in Mary Magdalene’s persistent and plaintive declarations. Turning towards the East and to 9th century Byzantine Constantinople, Kassiani also came from a time when women had few options for intellectual expression, and yet from the confines of her cloister she became widely known for her beauty, wisdom and musical talent. It felt right to choose her two solo texts that praise and honor St. Symeon the Stylite, known best for his extreme monastic isolation while living atop a pillar for 37 years. (Thank goodness for him, the local villagers provided their version of Uber eats, but he had to endure his quarantine time with only prayer and meditation and no Netflix!) I knew that in addition to the two women from the “West” I wanted to add another Eastern voice to Kassiani’s, so I turned to Vidita Kanniks for her thoughts on an Indian poet that fit my theme of women in isolation. Hearing the story of how Mirabai endured being locked away by herself in order to convince her to relent and get married, and also reading about her ascetic solitary wandering in search of communion with the divine, I knew we had the final piece to make this concert complete. It was a joy to have Vidita share this part of her musical life with us also, as we her colleagues mostly know her from singing classical western music together and it was such a perfect opportunity to find a way to blend those two worlds with her composition, The Saffron.
In this last year, like most musicians who do live performance for the majority of our work, I have had a pretty empty schedule. As unwilling as I am to admit that there may have been a silver lining in the pandemic cloud, it certainly for me personally has been a time where I have been able to dive more deeply into the conception and planning of projects that are near and dear to my heart and my passions, and not just running on the usual treadmill of the typical gig schedule. Stacking books on my shelf about women composers, ascetic saints, Baroque nuns, doing zoom calls to talk texts with composers, teasing out connections and similarities between disparate musical experiences, all of this has been the work of isolation for me sitting at home behind my computer. What an incredible gift therefore, to be able to bring this concert to life, to have these beautiful colleagues and friends singing for you this evening, in person, live, and to be able to offer this collection of “chorzata gemmis” to our audience.
A special thanks to founding members, co-conspirators and fantastic hoomans Lauren McAllister and Jackie Stevens who are always ready to listen when I say “so… I have this idea….”
Please follow our ensemble Heri et Hodie on Facebook to make sure you see what we are doing next! http://www.facebook.com/heri.et.hodie We are always happy to discuss interesting concert ideas that will fit into your performance venue, educational setting or spiritual home.
Warmly,
Krista Cornish Scott
St. Kassiani, hymnographer
From a Good Root (text and music by Kassiani)
From a good root a good fruit has grown Simeon, holy from birth, you were nourished on grace rather than milk And you lifted your body high upon a pillar, and your thoughts even higher towards God You lodged on high and lived with the virtues and walked on air together with the Divine Powers You became a dwelling place of Christ God and Savior of our souls.
Hymn of Cassia (text by Kassiani, music by Fr. Stephen Meholick, adapted from an Old Bulgarian chant)
The woman who had fallen into many sins, O Lord yet when she perceived Thy divinity she joined the ranks of the myrrhbearers. In tears she brought thee myrrh before Thy burial. She cried “Woe! Woe is me! I live in the night of licentiousness, shrouded in the dark and moonless love of sin. But accept the fountain of my tears. Thou who didst gather the waters of the sea into clouds bow down Thine ear to the sighing of my heart. Thou who didst bow the heavens in Thine ineffable condescension. Once Eve heard Thy footsteps in paradise in the cool of the day and in fear she ran and hid herself. But now I will tenderly embrace those pure feet. And wipe them with the hair of my head. Who can measure the multitude of my sins or the depth of Thy judgments. O Saviour, O Saviour of my soul, despise not Thy servant, for Thy mercy, for Thy mercy is beyond measure.
O God-Bearing Father (text and music by Kassiani)
O God-bearing father you cherished the love of wisdom to the fullest. Beyond this world you surpass visible things by your life. You were a pure mirror of our God. Ceaselessly united to His radiance, you share His light And have obtained endless blessedness and the fullness of splendor. O blessed Symeon, intercede for our souls!
For a wonderful article with historical details of the life of this inspiring woman, please click here: http://thecarmelitelibrary.blogspot.com/2021/01/saint-kassiani-hymnographer-bata-bardak.html
Sr. Chiara Margarita Cozzolani
O Dulcis Jesu
O sweet Jesus, You are the source of devotion, You are the source of goodness, and the source of love, and in You is the source of life, O sweet Jesus. So let my soul drink only from You, let it seek refuge only in You, let it cry to You day and night; for in You alone is true rest, true sweetness, and true peace and life.
Most beloved Jesus, grant me your sweetest light; lovingly infuse, most pleasant Lord, infuse the ray of Your light into my soul, so that, thus illuminated and radiant, it may be worthy to see You, to love You, to enjoy You in love, to possess You in enjoyment with your saints forever. O sweet Jesus.
Dialogo fra Maria Magdalena
Mary Magdalene stood at the tomb, mourning; as she wept, she turned to the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting there, and said to them: Have you seen Him whom my soul seeks?
Woman, why do you weep? Whom do you seek?
They have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they have put Him. I searched for Him in the night and did not find Him.
Who is your beloved among beloveds, O most beautiful of women?
My beloved is white and ruddy, chosen among thousands, completely loveable, completely desirable.
Tell us Mary, who is your beloved?
My beloved, my love is beautiful among the sons of men. He is the crucified Jesus. O my light, where are you? O my love, where are you? O my life, where are you? Come my beloved, come, for I languish for your love, come, for I am dying for your love.
Why do you seek the living among the dead? He has risen, he is not here. He will go before you to Galilee, alleluia, Mary. Weep no more but rejoice and be glad. Let us therefore say, jubilant, joyful, singing, loving, let us say: alleluia.
O bright day, O fortunate dawn, O sweet day, O blessed day, let us sing songs and psalms, let us love, let us sing: alleluia.
For biographical information and more on Chiara Cozzolani, please click here: https://www.andreazuvich.com/music/a-clear-pearl-of-invention-the-music-of-chiara-margarita-cozzolani- by-warren-stewart-of-magnificat-baroque/
Mirabai (c. 1498 – c. 1546)
Saint- Poet Mirabai is celebrated today as one of India’s foremost female historical figures. Her devotion to the Hindu deity Krishna led her through a life of deep love, spirituality and ultimately self-renouncement in the name of her oneness with her god. Known to have rejected societal expectations of her time including a non-consensual marriage at the age of 13, Mira inspires many today as a symbol of liberation and empowerment. Her poetry personifies elegance, simplicity and utter devotion. Most of her extant works are in various regional dialects of Hindi including Rajasthani and Braj, a dialect spoken in Brindavan, where Krishna himself is thought to have grown up according to the Hindu epic, the Mahabharata.
Many of Mira’s poems were popularized through musical settings during the 1960s when renowned classical/playback singer, better known as the ‘nightingale of India’ Lata Mangeshkar rendered a number of these ‘bhajans’ or devotional hymns. Mira, being a saint herself, is often visually depicted singing these bhajans with her Ektaara (drone lute). Bhajans are an integral part of sacred music in the Indian tradition, often used for congregational singing in religious settings but can also be a medium for soloistic/virtuosic vocal expression.
A number of Mirabai’s works are known better today in their English translations, one of which, ‘the Saffron’ is set as a polyphonic arrangement on this program. In this poem, Mira paints a picture of ‘Holi’, the annual Spring festival during which the life, love and joy of Krishna are celebrated through the famous ritual of throwing colored powder. Mira finds herself stunned in divine bliss and ultimately surrenders herself to her love of her lord. This piece is set entirely within the framework of the Hindustani raga Bhupali (also known as Mohanam in the Carnatic tradition of south India) alternating sections of vocal polyphony with ‘alaaps’ or free improvisation in the Hindustani style.
Savaro nandana
Nand nandana dit padiya maye savaro O loved one Krishna, the son of Nanda Dareya sab lok laj Cast your glance of protection at one and all Sudh budh bis rayi Give us clarity of thought Mor chandra ka kirita You bewitch me with that peacock feather on your Mukut jab suhayi crown Kesar ro tilak bhal and the vermilion adorning your forehead Lochan sukha dayi
Karam ki gati nyari
Karam ki gati nyari santo Oh how strange are the wonders of life Bade bade nayan diye miragan ko The deer of the forest have such beautiful, large eyes Ban ban firat ujaari santo Yet they seem to wander without direction Ujwal baran dini bagalan ko The crane is a pure white Koyal kar dini kaari santo The sweet cuckoo bird is black Aur na dipan jal nirmal kini The tiny morning dew drops are sweet Samundar kar dini khaari santo Yet the magnanimous ocean is salty Murakh ko tum raj diyat ho The rulers of our lands lack intellect Pandit firat bhikaari santo While the wisest of us all is the common man Mira ke prabhu giridhar nagun I do not care for the king Raja ji to kaan bichaari santo I, Mira only sing for my true love
The Saffron
The saffron of virtue and contentment Is dissolved in the fountain of love and affection Pink and red clouds of emotion are flying about Limitless colors raining down All the covers of the earthen vessel of my body are wide open I have thrown away all shame before the world My lord is my saviour, my lover I sacrifice myself to his lotus feet in devotion
We thank Vidita Kanniks for her beautiful composition! Follow her on social media to see what new projects she is up to: https://www.facebook.com/viditakanniksmusic https://www.instagram.com/v_for_vidita/
Who else? My obsession: St. Hildegard von Bingen!
O Virga ac Diadema
1a. O branch and diadem in royal purple clad, who like a shield stand in your cloister strong.
1b. You burst forth blooming but with buds quite different than Adam’s progeny—the entire human race.
2a. Hail, o hail! For from your womb came forth another life, that had been stripped by Adam from his sons.
2b. O bloom, you did not spring from dew nor from the drops of rain, nor has the windy air flown over you; but radiance divine has brought you forth upon that noblest bough.
3a. O branch, your blossoming God had foreseen within the first day of his own creation.
3b. And by his Word he made of you a golden matrix, O Virgin, worthy of our praise.
4a. O, how great in power is that side of man, from which God brought the form of woman forth, a mirror made of all his ornament, and an embrace of all his own creation.
4b. The heavens’ symphony resounds, in wonder stands all earth, O Mary, worthy of our praise, for God has loved you more than all.
5a. O cry and weep! How deep the woe! What sorrow seeped with guilt in womanhood because the serpent hissed his wicked plan!
5b. That woman, whom God made to be the mother of the world, had pricked her womb with wounds of ignorance—the full inheritance of grief she offered to her offspring.
6a. But from your womb, O dawn, has come the sun anew; the guilt of Eve he’s washed away and through you offered humankind a blessing even greater than the harm that Eve bestowed.
6b. O Lady Savior, who has offered to the human race a new and brighter light: together join the members of your Son into the heavens’ harmony.
O Orzchis Ecclesia
O vast Church, girded with divine arms and adorned with hyacinths You are the fragrance of the wounds of peoples and the city of knowledge O, o, you are indeed anointed with a lofty sound, and you are a sparkling gem.
** in this piece Hildegard uses several words from her “Lingua Ignota” or secret language. The words are: Orzchis, caldemia, loifolum, crizanta and chorzta, and are translated in the Reisencodex as (in order) vast, aroma, peoples, anointed, and glittering.
By far my favourite resource for learning more about Hildegard is the following website: http://www.hildegard-society.org/p/home.html
Grateful thanks to composers Ellen Harrison and Carlotta Ferrari for their generous spirits and beautiful music for this project. Please contact them to obtain scores:
https://www.ellenruthharrison.com/ and http://carlottaferrari.altervista.org