In loving memory of Barbara Pollock 1956 - 2010

On behalf of myself and all those involved in Tenebrae this recording is dedicated to a very special and much loved friend, Barbara Pollock, without whose constant support, energy and enthusiasm Tenebrae would simply not exist. Anyone involved with the  choir over these last ten years will know what a remarkable lady Barbara was, combining so many wonderful qualities – extraordinary generosity, intelligence, charm and beauty – that one can only feel truly privileged to have known her.

In fighting breast cancer for several years she also showed what incredible inner strength, determination and courage she had and will always serve as an

inspiration to me both personally and in my work with Tenebrae. She was so proud of the choir and loved nothing more than to sit and listen to us sing.

We were proud of her too! We give thanks for such  a wonderful lady to whom we owe so much but take comfort in knowing she is now finally at peace.

She will be sorely missed by us all. Nigel

- 2 - FIGURE HUMAINE

Francis Poulenc t

 Mass in G Kyrie [3.25]  Gloria [4.09]  Sanctus [2.26] o  Benedictus [3.46]  Agnus Dei [4.56] Soloist: Natalie Clifton-Griffith, soprano a  Litanies á la Vierge Noire [8.19]

 Salve Regina [4.23]

 Un Soir de Neige  De grandes cuillers de neige [1.09]  La bonne neige le ciel noir [1.37] Bois meurtri [2.12] - La nuit le froid la solitude [1.05]

 Figure Humaine 3 I. Bientôt [2.45] ! II. Le Rôle des Femmes [2.05] . III. Aussi bas que le silence [1.34] n 0 IV. Patience [1.58] 5 V. Premiere Marche la voix d’un autre [1.00] A f 1 VI. Un Loup [1.42] % VII. Un feu sans tache [3.49] + VIII. Liberté [4.30] d

 Quatre petites prières de Saint François d’Assise

, Salut, Dame Sainte [2.10] o  Tout Puissant [1.15] / Seigneur, je vous en prie [1.21] s p O mes très chers frères [1.55] f w c i Total Timings [63.33]d d f t f

t c TENEBRAE NIGEL SHORT DIRECTOR o

c www.signumrecords.com

Figure Humaine, and the Awakening of music fifty years from now it will be more in the Francis Poulenc Stabat Mater than in the Mouvements Perpétuels”.  “With a courtyard in front, pink with oleanders in A gradual reawakening of Poulenc’s dormant tubs, next to a simple chapel hollowed into the rock, Catholicism (handed down by his father but shelters a miraculous figure of the Virgin, carved, neglected in the Parisian social whirl of the 1920s) according to tradition, in black wood by Saint was suddenly intensified after one of his closest Amadour, the little Zacchaeus of the gospel who friends, the composer Pierre-Octave Ferroud, had to climb a tree to see the Christ. That same was killed in a road accident in 1936. Poulenc evening I began my Litanies á la Vierge Noire ...” was devastated, the more so after the gruesome details of the accident were disclosed (Ferroud was Francis Poulenc is now considered to be among the apparently decapitated), and he travelled to the most important composers of choral music of the great Catholic pilgrimage site of Rocamadour in  20th Century. Yet his early career reveals no trace the Pyrenées in search of consolation. At the foot of the dazzling and idiosyncratic unaccompanied of the famous statue of the black virgin he found choral textures so abundantly produced in the it, and from this point embarked on a decade-long second half of his life. Poulenc’s Parisian period of almost exclusive choral and vocal forebears were often reluctant choralists, and his writing. Appropriately given the source of his contemporaries in the modernist world were inspiration, this period began with the Litanies disinclined to explore an antiquated and even á la Vierge Noire (1936) originally composed for discredited form associated most recently with female voices and organ and later adapted for the German Romantics. Up until 1936, Poulenc female voices and orchestra, and followed soon wrote only one piece of choral music, and even after with his first works for full SATB chorus – that is a slight and whimsical offering for male the Sept Chansons, and the Mass in G ( 1 9 3 7 ) , voices – the Chanson á Boire of 1922. Yet by the composed in memory of his father now 20 years end of his life Poulenc had so fully embraced the deceased, but exerting renewed spiritual influence idiom that he felt able to assert: “I think I’ve put over his son. Here we experience for the first time the best and most genuine part of myself into my that fusion of playfulness and devotion which choral music ... If people are still interested in my characterizes Poulenc’s sacred music. Listening

- 5 - to the juxtaposition of the comically marcato bass received the works of Eluard under plain cover part in the “qui tollis peccata mundi” section of during the Second World War, including the L the Gloria, alongside the chant-like three-part collection Poésie et Verité 42. One of the poems setting of “qui sedes ad dexteram patris” which from this collection, Liberté, was dropped in e a immediately follows, it is hard to imagine the leaflet form over occupied France by the British P composer writing without a little smirk on his face. Royal Air Force so as to boost morale among the civilian population and within the French c Poulenc’s awakening to choral music (and to Resistance. Poulenc was so captivated by this s Catholicism) naturally brought with it new particular volume, and so intent on setting it to l explorations in the world of sacred and secular music right away, that he abandoned (and never p literature and poetry. For his sacred music, he revisited) the violin concerto he was working on, g b was drawn to poetic non-biblical texts (the words and instead set about composing his great choral t of St Francis inspired his setting for mens’ voices cantata Figure Humaine in 1943. t o of the Quatre petits prières de Saint François i d’Assise in 1948), as well as liturgical texts which Poulenc’s social and creative circle was destroyed reflected his continued devotion to the statue of by the war. The status of Paris as the cultural h the black virgin, as with the marian motet Salve capital of the world had been rudely revoked, Regina (1941). Amongst the secular French so Poulenc retreated to his country residence poets, Poulenc explored Charles d’Orléans, and at Noizay. He grew paranoid about what was the naturalist works of Maurice Fombeure, but he happening to Paris in his absence, and fell f found most inspiration in the surrealist works of victim to every rumour going. In his search to find ( contemporary writers Guillaume Apollinaire and a good creative outlet for his feelings, these years Paul Eluard, discovering that their synthesis of became fruitful ones for composition. He revealed f levity and profundity matched his compositional something of his motives in a letter sent after o style perfectly. Sadly, Apollinaire died too young the armistice: “When I think that Noizay is so to have a meaningful influence on Poulenc completely untouched I almost feel ashamed. during his lifetime, but with Eluard the relationship I trust that Figure Humaine will be a sufficient was more organic, and yielded much more choral tribute from a Frenchman”. With the statue of a music. Poulenc was one of a select few who the black virgin continuing to exert a powerful s

- 6 - - r influence over his conscience, he visited terrible struggle which Europe was engaged in for d Rocamadour again before beginning work on Liberté. Even though it is only 20 minutes in length, c the piece (even though the subject matter is the work is a supreme test of stamina, technical earthly, he saw Figure Humaine as the fulfillment agility, range, aural skill and musicianship. l of a sacred duty as well as a patriotic Poulenc maintains a basic antiphonal structure c R one). His initial plan was for the work to be in each of the movements, juxtaposing the two clandestinely rehearsed and premiered on the choirs in virtuosic ways (at various times R day of liberation in Paris. However, Parisian suggesting argument, distance, amplification C liberation came quicker (in 1944) than he had etc) and bringing them together at moments of e been expecting, so after the score was complete he particular textual significance. Poulenc’s rigid l gave agreement for a first performance to be belief in the primacy of text is apparent w given by the BBC Singers in London (in an English throughout, as amongst all the complications translation) after the BBC expressed great interest of the score there is not a single moment where in the unpublished score. Naturally Poulenc still the lines of text risk being clouded by excessive wanted to make some sort of symbolic gesture polyphonic writing. Even in the fugal sections with his work to mark the day when the Nazis were he is careful to repeat lines of text a sufficient c driven out of Paris, so as he wrote in a letter to number of times to ensure their absorption. the singer Pierre Bernac: “The day the Americans p arrived, I triumphantly placed my cantata on the The first seven poems are clearly intended to h studio desk, beneath my flag, at the window”. form a sequence, capped by a longer epilogue v (the eighth). The overarching dramatic thread The eight movements of Figure Humaine are scored seems to be one of gathering madness, brought for double SMATBB choir, with frequent divisi, about by the combination of long-suffered s so that up to 14 parts are often heard. Poulenc oppression and long-desired liberty. In common s t himself recommended a large choir of 84 for the with many of his choral works, Poulenc juxtaposes c premiere, with seven singers to a part. In a large mood to great effect, placing the most furiously d body of frequently very difficult choral works, it agitated sections next to the most becalmed, t is undoubtedly the most challenging of all his and the most dissonant next to the most m works in the genre – not inappropriate given the soothingly consonant. Here we also find a

- 7 - preoccupation with analogies from the world of and major and infuse everything with a delicious nature. Wolves (thought to represent the German bipolarity, as monastic as it is jazzy. SS) rampage through another cantata composed f a during this period, Un Soir de Neige (1944), but After the desperate, ecstatic declamation of man’s c c the bestiary contained within Figure Humaine is indestructibility which concludes the extraordinary rather more diverse (and sometimes fantastical), seventh movement, Poulenc instructs the singers since Eluard presents all of humanity not only as to pause for a while before the finale, as if in perpetrator, but also as potential saviour at this contemplation of the 24 stanzas still to come. dark hour in its history. Birds and beasts abound, This is the climax of the work, and these are the and the constellations have their say along words which had been scattered over the French with diurnal and seasonal cycles, with none of countryside and imprinted on Poulenc’s conscience. o them bearing much comfort. Most often Eluard Where does one begin this revolution, this t prefers to leave the descriptions incomplete to declaration of freedom? Eluard begins at his deepen the sense of what lies in the sinister desk, with the everyday objects in front of him, darkness, and what terrifies us most. The and Poulenc obliges with a simple, easy-paced monsters introduced in the first movement setting of gently swaying homophony. Eluard A become menacing, scaly beasts with power- moves his gaze out to the world, taking in warriors p ful jaws by the seventh movement, and the and kings, animals and birds, and then reaches unnamed animal leaving its tracks in the beyond to the ether and the stars, before drawing snow in the sixth movement seems to represent back to the foreheads and hands of those dear w humanity stripped of humanity – a march of cattle to him (presumably Poulenc himself was touched b towards death. Poulenc’s musical response is by Eluard’s pen). On every object which Eluard a carefully designed to match the shape of the text, sees or imagines, he daubs it with the word which and displays all of the composer’s extraordinary is now haunting him, and he is determined to harmonic deftness and imagination. Trademark continue until he has covered the whole world cycles of fifths and jarring tritones propel the with its seven letters. Poulenc captures the music into unrelated keys, and his favourite excitement and insane optimism perfectly, modes, Phrygian and Aeolian, combine with 7t h beginning in the E major key which has by now and 9th chords to blur the edges between minor become associated with redemption in this

- 8 - work, but lurching from key to key, often without to Europe’s struggle for freedom in the 1940s. n b preparation, as the poet switches dimensions Elizabeth Poston, European Music Supervisor from micro to macro, and from abstract to at the BBC during the 1940s, advised her concrete. The antiphonally-apportioned singers commissioning editor that the work symbolized t serve Poulenc especially well here, as the first French fortitude and suffering during the war, choir takes the role of searching the world for and was thus an important work for the BBC to writing surfaces, and the second choir obliges disseminate; and today, its reputation has grown each time with the refrain “J’écris ton nom”. The (despite the relative infrequency of performances) momentum builds perpetually, the tempo gradually to the point where it is universally acknowledged quickens and at the ear-splitting climax where the as Poulenc’s crowning achievement in the realm w c word “Liberté!” is finally sung by the entire choir, of unaccompanied choral music. t W the tessitura rises almost beyond the range of p d earthly singers. © Gabriel Crouch, 2010 d a The reviewer of the first performance, WR s Anderson, wrote in the Musical Times that the piece contained ‘dubious structure’ and ‘evasive harmony’, and concluded that he would ‘need to see the score to get at it’. One cannot help but s wonder if a choir assembled barely two weeks before the first performance in the immediate aftermath of the armistice might have needed c a little more exposure to the score to ‘get at it’ themselves (sadly, the original recording does not c survive). But in spite, or perhaps even because of the fierce battles which must be fought and won m e in staging a performance of this work it remains m synonymous with the zealous efforts made by some a b French artists to make a meaningful contribution

- 9 - TEXTS & TRANSLATIONS

-  Mass in G

Kyrie

Kyrie eleison. Lord, have mercy upon us. Christe eleison. Christ, have mercy upon us. Kyrie eleison. Lord, have mercy upon us.

 Gloria

Gloria in excelsis Deo. Glory be to God on high, et in terra pax hominibus and on earth peace and bonæ voluntatis. goodwill towards men. Laudamus te. Benedicimus te We praise Thee, we bless Thee, Adoramus te. Glorificamus te. we worship Thee, we glorify Thee. Gratias agimus tibi We give thanks to Thee propter magnam gloriam tuam. For Thy great glory. Domine Deus, Rex cœlestis, O Lord God, heavenly King, Deus Pater omnipotens. God the Father Almighty, Domine Fili unigenite Jesu Christe, the only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, Domine Deus, Agnus Dei, Filius Patris. Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father. Qui tollis peccata mundi, Thou that takest away the sins of the world, miserere nobis. have mercy upon us. Qui tollis peccata mundi, Thou that takest away the sins of the world, suscipe deprecationem nostram. receive our prayer. Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris, thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father miserere nobis. Have mercy upon us.

- 10 - Quoniam tu solus Sanctus, For Thou only art holy, Tu solus Dominus, Thou only art the Lord,  Tu solus Altissimus. Thou only art most high. Jesu Christe. Jesu Christ. cum Sancto Spiritu With the Holy Spirit in gloria Dei Patris, In the glory of God the Father, Amen. Amen.

 Sanctus

Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus, Holy, holy, holy, Dominus Deus Sabaoth. Lord God of Sabaoth. Pleni sunt cœli et terra gloria tua. Heaven and earth are full of thy glory Hosanna in excelsis. Hosanna in the highest.

 Benedictus

Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini. Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in excelsis. Hosanna in the highest.

 Agnus Dei

Agnus Dei qui tollis peccata mundi, O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world, miserere nobis. Have mercy upon us.

Agnus Dei qui tollis peccata mundi, O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world, miserere nobis. Have mercy upon us.

- 11 - Agnus Dei qui tollis peccata mundi, O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world, dona nobis pacem. Grant us thy peace.

 Litanies á la Vierge Noire Prayers to the Black Virgin

Seigneur, ayez pitié de nous, Lord, have pity on us. Jésus-Christ, ayez pitié de nous. Jesus Christ, have pity on us. Jésus-Christ, écoutez-nous. Jesus Christ, hear us. Jésus-Christ, exaucez-nous. Jesus Christ, grant our prayers.

Dieu le père, créateur, ayez pitié de nous. God the Father, creator, have pity on us. Dieu le fils, rédempteur, ayez pitié de nous. God the Son, redeemer, have pity on us. Dieu le Saint-Esprit, sanctificateur, ayez pitié de nous. God the Holy Spirit, sanctifier, have pity on us. Trinité Sainte, qui êtes un seul Dieu, ayez pitié Holy Trinity, who are one single God, have pity de nous. on us. A Sainte Vierge Marie, priez pour nous, Holy Virgin Mary, pray for us. Vierge, reine et patronne, priez pour nous. Virgin, queen and patron, pray for us. Vierge que Zachée le publicain nous a fait Virgin, whom Zacchaeus the tax-collector made connaître et aimer, us know and love, Vierge à qui Zachée ou Saint Amadour Eleva Virgin, to whom Zacchaeus or Saint Amadour ce sanctuaire, raised this sanctuary, Priez pour nous. Pray for us.

Reine du sanctuaire, que consacra Saint Martial, Queen of the sanctuary, which Saint Martial Et où il célébra ses saints mystères, consecrated, Reine, près de laquelle s’agenouilla Saint Louis And where he celebrated his holy mysteries, Vous demandant le bonheur de la France, Queen, before whom knelt Saint Louis Priez pour nous, priez pour nous. Asking of you good fortune for France, Pray for us, pray for us.

- 12 - Reine, à qui Roland consacra son épée, priez Queen, to whom Roland consecrated his sword, pour nous. pray for us. Reine, dont la bannière gagna les batailles, Queen, whose banner won the battles, pray for us. priez pour nous. Queen, whose hand delivered the captives, Reine, dont la main délivrait les captifs, priez pray for us. pour nous.

Notre-Dame, dont le pélerinage est enrichi Our Lady, whose pilgrimage is enriched by de faveurs spéciales, special favours, Notre-Dame, que l’impiété et la haine ont Our Lady, whom impiety and hate have D voulu souvient détruire, often wished to destroy, Notre-Dame, que les peuples visitent comme Our Lady, whom the peoples visit as of old, autrefois, Pray for us, pray for us. Priez pour nous, priez pour nous.

Agneau de Dieu, qui effacez les péchés du monde, Lamb of God, who wipes out the sins of the world, pardonnez-nous. pardon us. Agneau de Dieu, qui effacez les péchés du monde, Lamb of God, who wipes out the sins of the world, exaucez-nous. grant our prayers. Agneau de Dieu, qui effacez les péchés du monde, Lamb of God, who wipes out the sins of the world, ayez pitié de nous. have pity on us.

Notre-Dame, priez pour nous, Our Lady, pray for us, Afin que nous soyons dignes de Jésus-Christ. To the end that we may be worthy of Jesus Christ.

 Salve Regina Hail, Holy Queen

Salve, Regina, Mater misericordiæ, Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra salve. our life, our sweetness and our hope.

- 13 - Ad te clamamus exsules filii Evae, To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes to thee do we send up our sighs, in hac lacrymarum valle. mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.

Eja, ergo, Advocata nostra, illos tuos Turn then, most gracious advocate, misericordes oculos ad nos converte; thine eyes of mercy toward us; Et Jesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui, and after this our exile, nobis post hoc exsilium ostende. show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clemens, O pia, O dulcis Virgo Maria. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

 - - Un Soir de Neige A Night of Snow Paul Éluard (1895–1952)

 De grandes cuillers de neige Great clods of snow

De grandes cuillers de neige Our frozen feet pick up Ramassent nos pieds glacés Great clods of snow Et d’une dure parole And with deep sighs Nous heurtons l’hiver têtu We face the coming winter Chaque arbre a sa place en l’air Each tree has its place in the air Chaque roc son poids sur terre Each rock its place on the earth Chaque ruisseau son eau vive Each brook its rushing water Nous nous n’avons pas de feu But as for us, we have no fire

 La bonne neige le ciel noir The pristine snow, the black sky

La bonne neige le ciel noir The pristine snow, the black sky Les branches mortes la détresse The dead branches, the agony De la forêt pleine de pièges Of the forest full of snares

- 14 - Honte à la bête pourchassée Shame on the hunted animal La fuite en flêche dans le cœur. Whose flight is like an arrow in the heart Les traces d’une proie atroce The tracks of a cruel pursuit Hardi au loup et c’est toujours Strength to the wolf, always Le plus beau loup et c’est toujours The most magnificent wolf and always Le dernier vivant que menace The last survivor to suffer La masse absolue de la mort The irresistible force of death

Bois meurtri Woods ruined

Bois meurtri, bois perdu d’un voyage en hiver Woods ruined, woods robbed by the ravages of winter Navire où la neige prend pied Vessel where the snows amass Bois d’asile bois mort, où sans espoir je rêve Sheltering woods, dead woods, where without hope De la mer aux miroirs crevés I dream Un grand moment d’eau froide a saisi les noyés Of a sea made of shattered mirrors La foule de mon corps en souffre A surge of cold water seized the drowning victims Je m’affaiblis je me disperse My whole body suffering J’avoue ma vie j’avoue ma mort j’avoue autrui I grow feeble, I am undone I face my life, my death, and everything

- La nuit le froid la solitude The night the cold the loneliness

La nuit le froid la solitude The night the cold the loneliness On m’enferma soigneusement They shut me in tightly Mais les branches cherchaient leur voie dans la prison But the branches sought a way into my prison Autour de moi l’herbe trouva le ciel Around me the grass found the sky On verrouilla le ciel ma prison s’écroula The sky was locked up, My prison crumbled Le froid vivant le froid brûlant m’eut bien en main The living, burning cold had me in its clutches

- 15 - 3 - + Figure Humaine The Human Face Paul Éluard

3 I. Bientôt I. Soon

De tous les printemps du monde, Of all the springtimes in history Celui-ci est le plus laid This one is the most vile Entre toutes mes façons d’être Of all the ways of being La confiante est la meillure My trusting nature is the best L’herbe soulève la neige The grass pushes up the snow Comme la pierre d’un tombeau As if it were a tombstone Moi je dors dans la tempête But I sleep through the storm Et je m’éveille les yeux clairs And awake with eyes brightened Le lent le petit temps s’achève Slow and quick time passes Où toute rue devait passer Where all routes must end Par mes plus intimes retraites Through my most intimate secrets Pour que je rencontre quelqu’un So that I might meet someone Je n’entends pas parler les monstres I do not hear what the monsters are saying Je les connais ils ont tout dit But I know them, and they have said everything before Je ne vois que les beaux visages I see only beautiful faces Les bons visages sûrs d’eux mêmes The good faces of those who truly know themselves. Sûrs de ruiner bientôt leurs maîtres Certain soon to ruin their owners

! II. Le Rôle des Femmes II. The Women’s role

En chantant les servantes s’élancent As they sing, the housemaids hurtle forwards Pour rafraîchir la place où l’on tuait To clean the spot where a man was killed Petites filles en poudre vite agenouillées Cute powdered girls swiftly to their knees Leurs mains aux soupiraux de la fraîcheur Their hands stretched out to the fresh air

- 16 - Sont bleues comme une expérience Unspoilt like the first experience Un grand matin joyeux Of a day of ecstatic joy Faites face à leurs mains les morts Turn to look at their hands, the dead Faites face à leurs yeux liquides Turn to see their watery eyes C’est la toilette des éphémères It is the ritual of may-flies La dernière toilette de la vie The final ritual of life Les pierres descendent disparaissent The stones fall and disappear Dans l’eau vaste essentielle In the vast eternal deep La dernière toilette des heures The final ritual of time A peine un souvenir ému Barely a memory remains Aux puits taris de la vertu The wells of virtue have dried up Aux longues absences encombrantes The long, unbearable absences Et l’on s’abandonne à la chair très tendre And the surrendering of delicate flesh Aux prestiges de la faiblesse. To the triumph of weakness

. III. Aussi bas que le silence III. As deep as the silence

Aussi bas que le silence As deep as the silence D’un mort planté dans la terre Of a corpse buried under ground Rien que ténèbres en tête Nothing but shadows in his head Aussi monotone et sourd As monotonous and deaf Que l’automne dans la mare As autumn in a lake Couverte de honte mate Shrouded with stale shame Le poison veuf de sa fleur Poison robbed of its flower Et de ses bêtes dorées And of its gilded beasts Crache sa nuit sur les hommes Spews its blackness over mankind

- 17 - 0 IV. Patience IV. Patience

Toi ma patiente ma patience ma parente You, my patient one, my patience, my guardian Gorge haut suspendue orgue de la nuit lente Throat held high, organ of the calm night Révérence cachant tous les ciels dans sa grâce Reverence cloaking all of heaven in its grace Prépare à la vengeance un lit d’où je naîtrai Prepare, for vengeance, a bed where I may be born

5 V. Premiere Marche la voix d’un autre V. First march, the voice of another

Riant du ciel et des planètes Laughing at the sky and planets La bouche imbibée de confiance Mouths dripping with arrogance Les sages veulent des fils The wise men wish for sons Et des fils de leurs fils And for sons for their sons Jusqu’à périr d’usure Until they die in vain Le temps ne pèse que les fous The march of time burdens not only the foolish L’abîme est seul à verdoyer Hell alone flourishes Et les sages sont ridicules And the wise men are made foolish

1 VI. Un Loup VI. A Wolf

Le jour m’étonne et la nuit me fait peur The day shocks me and the night terrifies me L’été me hante et l’hiver me poursuit Summer haunts me and winter chases me Un animal sur la neige a posé An animal has imprinted its paws Ses pattes sur le sable ou dans la boue In the snow, in the sand or in the mud Ses pattes venues de plus loin que mes pas Its pawprints have come further than my own steps Sur une piste où la mort On a path where death A les empreintes de la vie Bears the imprint of life

- 18 - % VII. Un feu sans tache VII. A flawless fire

La menace sous le ciel rouge The menace under the red sky Venait d’en bas des mâchoires Came from under the jaws Des écailles des anneaux The scales and links D’une chaîne glissante et lourde Of a slippery and heavy chain

La vie était distribuée Life was dispersed Largement pour que la mort Widely so that death Prît au sérieux le tribut Could gravely take the dues Qu’on lui payait sans compter Which were paid without a thought

La mort était le Dieu d’amour Death was the God of love Et les vainqueurs dans un baiser And the victors with a kiss S’évanouissaient sur leurs victimes Swoon over their victims La pourriture avait du cœur Decay held the heart

Et pourtant sous le ciel rouge And yet under the red sky Sous les appétits de sang Beneath the lust for blood Sous la famine lugubre Beneath the dismal hunger La caverne se ferma The cavern closed up

La terre utile effaça The useful earth covered over Les tombes creusées d’avance The graves dug in advance Les enfants n’eurent plus peur The children no longer fearing Des profondeurs maternelles The maternal depths

Et la bêtise et la démence And stupidity, dementia Et la bassesse firent place And vulgarity gave way

- 19 - A des hommes frères des hommes To humanity and brotherhood Ne luttant plus contre la vie No longer set against life

A des hommes indestructibles But to an indestructible human race

+ VIII. Liberté VIII. Liberty

Sur mes cahiers d’écolier On my school books Sur mon pupitre et les arbres On my desk and on the trees Sur le sable sur la neige On the sand and in the snow J’écris ton nom I write your name

Sur toutes les pages lues On every page that is read Sur toutes les pages blanches On all blank pages Pierre sang papier ou cendre Stone blood paper or ashes J’écris ton nom I write your name

Sur les images dorées On gilded pictures Sur les armes des guerriers On the weapons of warriors Sur la couronne des rois On the crown of kings J’écris ton nom I write your name

Sur la jungle et le désert Over the jungle and the desert Sur les nids sur les genêts On the nests on the brooms Sur l’écho de mon enfance On the echo of my infancy J’écris ton nom I write your name

Sur les merveilles des nuits On the wonders of the night Sur le pain blanc des journées On the daily bread

- 20 - Sur les saisons fiancées On the conjoined seasons J’écris ton nom I write your name

Sur tous mes chiffons d’azur On all my blue scarves Sur l’étang soleil moisi On the pond grown moldy in the sun Sur le lac lune vivante On the lake alive in the moonlight J’écris ton nom I write your name

Sur les champs sur l’horizon On fields on the horizon Sur les ailes des oiseaux On the wings of birds Et sur le moulin des ombres And on the mill of shadows J’écris ton nom I write your name

Sur chaque bouffée d’aurore On each rising dawn Sur la mer sur les bateaux On the sea on the boats Sur la montagne démente On the wild mountain J’écris ton nom I write your name

Sur la mousse des nuages On the foamy clouds Sur les sueurs de l’orage In the sweat-filled storm Sur la pluie épaisse et fade On the rain heavy and relentless J’écris ton nom I write your name

Sur les formes scintillantes On shimmering figures Sur les cloches des couleurs On bells of many colours Sur la vérité physique On undeniable truth J’écris ton nom I write your name

- 21 - Sur les sentiers éveillés On the living pathways Sur les routes déployées On the roads stretched out Sur les places qui débordent On the bustling places J’écris ton nom I write your name

Sur la lampe qui s’allume On the lamp which is ignited Sur la lampe qui s’éteint On the lamp which is extinguished Sur mes maisons réunies My reunited households J’écris ton nom I write your name

Sur le fruit coupé en deux On the fruit cut in two Du miroir et de ma chambre The mirror and my bedroom Sur mon lit coquille vide On my bed an empty shell J’écris ton nom I write your name

Sur mon chien gourmand et tendre On my dog greedy and loving Sur ses oreilles dressées On his alert ears Sur sa patte maladroite On his clumsy paw J’écris ton nom I write your name

Sur le tremplin de ma porte On the springboard of my door Sur les objets familiers On the familiar objects Sur le flot du feu béni On the stream of the sacred flame J’écris ton nom I write your name

Sur toute chair accordée On all united flesh Sur le front de mes amis On the faces of my friends Sur chaque main qui se tend On each hand held out J’écris ton nom I write your name

- 22 - Sur la vitre des surprises On the window of surprises Sur les lèvres attentives On the attentive lips Bien au-dessus du silence Well above silence J’écris ton nom I write your name

Sur mes refuges détruits On my destroyed safehouses Sur mes phares écroulés On my collapsed beacons Sur les murs de mon ennui On the walls of my boredom J’écris ton nom I write your name

Sur l’absence sans désirs On absence without desire Sur la solitude nue On naked solitude Sur les marches de la mort On the death marches J’écris ton nom I write your name

Sur la santé revenue On health restored Sur le risque disparu On risk disappeared Sur l’espoir sans souvenir On hope without memory J’écris ton nom I write your name

Et par le pouvoir d’un mot And through the power of one word Je recommence ma vie I recommence my life Je suis né pour te connaître I was born to know you Pour te nommer To give a name to you

Liberté Liberty

- 23 - , - Quatre petites prières de Saint Four short prayers by Saint Francis of Assisi François d’Assise

, Salut, Dame Sainte Hail, Holy Lady

Salut, Dame Sainte, reine très sainte, Mère de Dieu, Hail, holy Lady, most holy Queen, Mothers of God, ô Marie qui êtes vierge perpétuellement, O Mary, you who are forever virgin, élue par le très saint Père du Ciel, chosen by the most holy heavenly Father, consacreé par Lui avec son très saint Fils bien aimé sanctified by Him and His most holy and beloved Son et l’Esprit Paraclet, vous en qui fut et demeure and the Paraclet, you who were and shall remain toute plénitude de grace e tout bien! in the complete fullness of grace and perfect goodness!

Salut, palais; salut, tabernacle; Hail to the palace; hail to the tabernacle; salut maison; salut vêtement; hail to the house; hail to the vestments; salut servante; salut mere de Dieu! hail, handmaiden; hail, Mother of God! Et salut à vous toutes, saintes vertus And hail to all you holy virtues qui par la grace et l’illumination du Saint Esprit, which through grace and light of the Holy Spirit Êtes verse es dans les cœurs des fidèles et, are poured into the hearts of the faithful, and d’infidèles que nous sommes, nous rendez fidèles make us, à Dieu. who are unfaithful, faithful unto God.

 Tout Puissant All Powerful

Tout puissant, très saint, très haut et souverain Dieu; All powerful, most holy, most high and sovereign God; Souverain bien, bien universel, bien total; toi qui Sovereign goodness, universal goodness, complete seul es bon; Puissons-nous te render toute louange, goodness; toute gloire, toute reconnaissance, tout honneur, you who alone are good; let us render to you all praise, toute benediction; all glory, all thankfulness, all honor, all blessing;

- 24 - - puissons-nous rapporter toujour à toi tous les biens. Let us yield to you always all that is good. Amen. Amen.

/ Seigneur, je vous en prie Lord, I beg of You

Seigneur, je vous en prie, que la force brûlante Lord, I beg you, let the burning and tender power et douce of your love consume my soul and remove it de votre amour absorbe mon âme et la retire from all that is de tout ce beneath the heavens. qui est sous le ciel. And so I may die thorough love for your love, Afin que je meure par amour de voltre as you amour, puisque vous avez submitted yourself to die through love for daigné mourir par amour de mon amour. my love.

O mes très chers frères O my dearest bretheren

O mes très chers frères et mes enfants bénis pour O my dearest bretheren, my children blessed for toute l’éternité, all eternity, écoutez-moi, écoutez la voix de votre Père: hear me; hear the voice of your father: Nous avons promis de grandes choses, We have promised great things, on nous en a promis de plus grandes; yet greater things have been promised to us; gardons les unes et soupirons après les autres; let us hold the one and aspire after the other. Le plaisir est court, la peine éternelle. Pleasure is brief; pain is eternal. la souffrance est légère, la gloire infinie. Suffering is light. Glory is infinite. Beaucoup sont appelés, peu sont élus tous recevront Many are called; few are chosen. ce qu’ils auront mérité. Ainsi soit-il. All will receive that which they have deserved.

- 25 - BIOGRAPHIES S

TENEBRAE

Tenebrae is a professional chamber choir, the most recent of which is Joby Talbot’s Path of founded and directed by Nigel Short in 2001. Often Miracles. Tenebrae’s unique virtuosity and style are performing by candlelight, the choir creates an exemplified on CD recordings, including Mozart’s atmosphere of spiritual and musical reflection, Requiem with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, where medieval chant and renaissance works are Sir John Tavener’s Mother and Child, Gaudete, a interspersed with contemporary compositions. The Christmas disc in association with Karl Jenkins carefully selected team of singers use the acoustic and Joby Talbot’s Path of Miracles. and atmosphere of the building to enable the audience to experience the power and intimacy of Recording work is complemented by a schedule the human voice. of regular performances for festivals and venues throughout the UK, Europe and the world. December Singers are drawn from outstanding musical 2006 saw the commencement of Tenebrae’s artistic backgrounds – King’s College, Cambridge, association with the London Symphony Orchestra, Westminster Abbey and Cathedral, St Paul’s Sir Colin Davies and LSO Live with a series of Cathedral, The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden critically and publicly acclaimed performances and English National Opera – to create a unique and recordings at the Barbican, London. vocal mix with an extraordinary range of vocal power and color. Tenebrae was nominated for a Royal Philharmonic Society Award in 2007. Tenebrae has an exceptionally wide repertoire, from early, through renaissance, baroque and classical www.tenebrae-choir.com music, to romantic and twentieth century works, plus a range of specially commissioned pieces,

- 26 - Soprano: Ildiko Allen, Natalie Clifton-Griffith, Anna Crookes, Joanna Forbes, Alice Gribbin, Micela Haslam, Katy Hill, Amy Moore, Laura Oldfield, Katie Trethewey

Alto: David Allsopp, Stephen Burrows, Mark Chambers, Christopher Field, Anne Jones, Clare Wilkinson f Tenor: Ben Alden, Jeremy Budd, Jonathan Bungard, Richard Butler, Matthew Long, Christopher Watson w Baritone: Matthew Brook, Gabriel Crouch, William Gaunt, Ben Parry, Andrew Rupp

Bass: Joseph Cullen, Simon Grant, Edward Grint, Adrian Peacock, Richard Savage, Lawrence Wallington a

b W S C c a

Photo by Eric Richmond

- 27 - NIGEL SHORT

Nigel began his musical life as a chorister at Since its debut performance in 2001 Tenebrae Solihull Parish Church going on to study singing has given concerts all over the world, including and piano at the Royal College of Music in Spain, Italy, Germany, France, Switzerland, UK, London. He began his career as a soloist in USA and Bermuda. opera and oratorio and as a member of specialist vocal ensembles such as The Tallis Nigel and the group have performed and recorded Scholars whilst maintaining a regular involvement live with The Chamber Orchestra of Europe in church music, firstly as a member of for Warner Classics and have given several Westminster Abbey Choir then Westminster performances with The English Concert. They Cathedral. He joined The King’s Singers when he record regularly with Signum Classics. was 27 and stayed with them for seven years. In December 2006, Sir Colin Davis and the LSO After a short break of about one ski season in the chose Tenebrae to perform Handel’s Messiah and Swiss Alps he set about founding his own group, Berlioz’ L’Enfance du Christ to a sold-out audience Tenebrae, aiming to bring together what he loved at the Barbican. Additional performances with Sir best as a singer – namely the more passionate Colin Davis are planned. sounds of large Cathedral choirs and the precision of ensembles like The King’s Singers – to create Nigel divides his time between directing a new kind of choral group. Whilst embracing Tenebrae and giving an ever-increasing number an eclectic repertoire, he wanted to have some of masterclasses and workshops for both ‘signature’ works that would make Tenebrae professional and amateur vocal groups and choirs different, adding a theatrical element that would throughout Europe. involve singers moving around as if on stage. To that end he wrote The Dream of Herod, with Nigel is Director of Music at St Bartholomew a central role for baritone Colin Campbell, and The Great, London. commissioned Joby Talbot to write Path of Miracles, premiered in July 2005.

- 28 -

S a L U o s l i f W p C r

C o T o ‘ p d

T c M

- 29 -

o

Tenebrae perform Poulenc’s Mass in G at the Church of St Mary the Virgin, Times Square, New York City, USA.

- 30 - Recorded at St Bartholomew the Great, West Smithfield, London on 22 – 24 June 2009. Producer - Adrian Peacock Engineer and Editor - Andrew Mellor Assistant - Alex Foster

Cover Image - Shutterstock Design and Artwork - Woven Design www.wovendesign.co.uk

௚ 2010 The copyright in this recording is owned by Signum Records Ltd. © 2010 The copyright in this CD booklet, notes and design is owned by Signum Records Ltd. Any unauthorised broadcasting, public performance, copying or re-recording of Signum Compact Discs constitutes an infringement of copyright and will render the infringer liable to an action by law. Licences for public performances or broadcasting may be obtained from Phonographic Performance Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this booklet may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission from Signum Records Ltd.

SignumClassics, Signum Records Ltd., Suite 14, 21 Wadsworth Road, Perivale, Middx UB6 7JD, UK. +44 (0) 20 8997 4000 E-mail: [email protected]

www.signumrecords.com

- 31 - ALSO AVAILABLE on signumclassics

Path of Miracles: Joby Talbot What Sweeter Music: Songs & Carols for Christmas Tenebrae Tenebrae SIGCD078 SIGCD182

Path of Miracles, for a cappella choir, was commissioned by What Sweeter Music is a real festive treat, with a sumptuous Tenebrae from Joby Talbot and premiered in 2005. The work is based collection of songs and carols for Christmas - touching on traditional on the most enduring route of Catholic pilgrimage – the great favourites (Silent Night, Away in a Manger), modern classics (The pilgramage to Santiago along the ‘Camino Frances’. This SACD Lamb, What Sweeter Music) and some new light-hearted arrangements Hybrid CD can also be played as a 4.0 surround-sound mix (Jingle Bells, We Wish You a Merry Christmas).

“Joby Talbot has been making quite a name for himself recently. “A jazzy Jingle Bells launches this varied and seductively sung Path of miracles can only add to that reputation: it’s a real programme” The Telegraph, Best Christmas Discs 2009 achievement” International Record Review

Available through most record stores and at www.signumrecords.com For more information call +44 (0) 20 8997 4000