Contemporary Choral
Bingham An Ancient Music for Choir, String Trio and Actor
EP 71203
JUDITH BINGHAM
An Ancient Music (2006) for Choir, String Trio and Actor
Score
EIGENTUM DES VERLEGERS
路
ALLE RECHTE VORBEHALTEN
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
EDITION PETERS LONDON
路 FRANKFURT/M. 路 LEIPZIG 路 NEW YORK
Commissioned by the BBC for the BBC Singers
rd
First performed 3 November 2006, at St. Pauls Knightsbridge by members of Endymion and the BBC Singers, conductor Andrew Carwood.
This score is a facsimile of the composer’s manuscript, reflecting the state of editorial work and correction as of November 2006
An Ancient Music Judith Bingham (2006)
1. Night falls q = 63
Wilfred Owen
sul tasto Violin p
Viola
Violoncello
7
Owen
Vln. Vla.
Vc.
p
sul tasto
An actor is seated at a table, with paper and pen as if writing a letter
p
sul tasto
p
This sign is the cue for the actor to begin
A
My own dearest Mother -
gradually go to sul pont.
Edition Peters No. 71203 Original copyright notice in the name of Maecenas © Copyright assigned 2007 to Hinrichsen Edition, Peters Edition Limited, London, for all countries of the world.
2
14
Owen
Last Sunday you wrote the tenderest letter of all, as if you feared all the time I might be ill: so much so that you finally say, you think you must have a fit of the blues. It was not a fit of the blues, it was an
Vln. Vla.
Vc.
nat.
mf
mf
nat.
nat.
mp
instance of the unconfinable sympathy that exists between us. Still, I am quite wretched tonight, 21 missing you so much. Oh so much! Taking the world as it really is, not everyone can boast that Owen
Ten. mm Vln.
Vla.
Vc.
div.
mp
mp
mp
3
B 27
Owen
Ten.
Vln.
Vla.
Vc.
their mother is absolute in their affections. But I believe it will always be so with me, always. Goodnight, goodnight. You are at home: yet you are home: your love is my home, and I
mp
mf
mp
34
Owen
cannot feel abroad. Your own, Wilfred.
Ten. Vln.
Vla.
Vc.
mm
p
pp
pp
p
mp
pp
4
Ten.
2. April night.
40
Bass.
Le
ciel
fpp
p
Le
Vln.
Vla.
fpp
p
pizz.
f pizz.
f
ciel
Vc. pizz.
f
Ten.
f
46
Bass.
Vln.
f
est é - toi - lé
les o - bus
3
par
des Boches,
mm
mf
3
est é - toi - lé,
Vla.
Vc.
fpp
mm
C
51
Ten.
mp
3 3 3
Le fo- rêt
mer - vei - lleu - se
oú
suddenly exuberant
e=e f
je vis,
3 3
Le fo- rêt
Vln.
3
mer - vei - lleu - se
oú
donne un
bal,
donne un
bal,
f
mp
Bass.
Vla.
5
je vis,
donne un
donne
un
bal,
arco, sul pont.
mf arco, sul pont.
mf
arco,sul pont. Vc. mf 56 donne un bal, donne un bal, la mi- trai -lleu-se joue un air à tri - ple croches, Ten. bal, donne un bal, donne un bal, donne un
bal,
Bass. f
Vln.
donne
Vla.
Vc.
un
donne un
bal,
bal,
nat. f nat.
f nat.
f
6
Ten. ah 62
mf
mf
Bass. harshly Vln.
D
f
les
f
ah
ff
IV
o - bus,
f
f
gliss.
mi-au
-
laient,
mi-au - laient,
pizz.
pizz.
pizz.
ff
laient,
-
mi-au- laient,
ff
gliss.
mi-au
o - bus,
Vla.
Vc.
les
f
f
Ten. 68
3
3
les 3
ff
ff
ff
nôtres,
les
nôtres,
en -tends chan - ter
ff
Vc.
3
en -tends chan - ter
Vla.
Vln.
Bass.
ff
72 Ten. ah!
Bass.
mm
(could be solo) mf pour - pre/a mour,
mm
Vla. Vc.
arco,sul tasto
mp arco,sul tasto
pp
mp arco
pp
mp
E
Ten.
fp
77
3 Bass.
sa - lu - é par ceux qui vont 3
pé- rir,
Il pleut
Vln.
Vc.
ah!
Vln.
Vla.
7
mon
fp
Il pleut
mon
âme,
âme,
mf
il
mf
il
pizz.
f
pizz.
f
mf espress.
8
Ten. pleut 82
Bass.
go falsetto
fp
mon
fp
pleut
mon
pleut
des
âme,
âme,
Vc.
yeux
mais il
des
pleut
yeux
Vln. Vla.
go falsetto
mf
pizz.
arco
mf
86
Owen
Ten. morts.
Bass.
Vln. Vla.
Vc.
(pizz.)
morts.
(pizz.) mf
mf espress.
mf
The sensations of going over the top are about as
3. Rondo I
92
Owen
q. = 66
Ten.
Bass.
mf
mm
mf
mm
Bass.
Vln.
mm
arco
p
p
p
p
p
p
falling over a precipice, when you see the rocks at the bottom surging
mm
mm
p
p
Vla.
Vc.
arco
96 exhilarating as those dreams of
Ten.
lower note optional
Owen
Vla.
Vc.
Vln.
9
p
p
p
10
F up to you. I woke up
100
Owen
Ten.
Bass.
Vln.
without being squashed. Some didn't. There was an extraordinary exultation
ethereal, slightly sul pont.
p
Vla.
ethereal, slightly sul pont.
p
Vc.
ethereal, slightly sul pont.
p
105
Owen
in the act of slowly
Bass. Ten.
Vln.
Vla.
Vc.
walking forward, showing ourselves openly. There was no bugle and no drum
mm
p
p
p
11
for which I was very sorry. I kept up a kind of chanting sing-song: keep the line straight! Not so When I 110 fast on the left! Steady on the left! Not so fast! Then we were caught in a tornado of shells. Owen
Ten. Bass. Vln.
Vla.
p
p
p
p
mm
Vln.
p
p
p
G
Ten. Bass.
p
114 looked back and saw the ground all crawling and wormy with wounded bodies
Owen
Vc.
(open slightly to 'uh' if necessary)
p
I felt no horror at all
p
mf
Vla.
Vc.
p
mf
p
mf
12
118 but only an immense exultation at having got through the Barrage.
Owen
Ten.
Bass.
Vln.
Vc.
Vla.
We were more than an hour
But a
124 moving over the open and by the time we came to the German trench every Boche had fled.
Owen
sing 'uh' half 'mm' half Ten. half sing 'uh' half 'mm' mp
Bass.
mp
mm/uh
mp
mp
mm/uh
Vln. col legno, below the bridge
col legno, below the bridge
Vla.
Vc. col legno, below the bridge
13
127 party of them had remained, lying low in a wood close behind us,
Owen
and they gave us a very bad time
Ten. mp
Bass.
mp
mp
mp
Vla.
Vln.
Vc.
131 for the next four hours.
Owen
Ten.
Bass.
mp
Vla. mm
Vln.
Vc.
14
4. The flower that opens and disappears Slower q = 55
135
Owen
Ten.
mf solo Cet - te nuit est si bel
p
Bass.
- le
où la bal - le
nuit
bel - le
bal - le
p
nuit,
bel - le
rou -
bal - le
coule,
tout un fleu - ve
coule,
d'o -
mp
fleu - ve
mp
coule,
fleu - ve
-bus 141
Ten.
Bass.
tes
tê -
bus
tê -
s'é -
tes,
tes,
3
fois,
3
mp
par
mp
3
-
par
-
3
coule,
coule
3
3 3
par - fois une fu - sée
coule
fleur qui s'ouvre et puis s'é -van-ou - it, 146
Ten.
sur nos tê -
bus Bass.
H
mf
fois,
par - fois,
fois,
par - fois,
par -
fois,
par -
mp
cet - te nuit
est si bel
nuit,
mf
par
-
-
le
où la
bel
fois,
mp
c'est une
par - fois,
il - lu - mi - ne la nuit,
mp
-
le,
151
Ten.
Bass.
build up
bal
- le
rou - coule,
build up
bal - le
tout un
d'o
-
fleu - ve
fleu - ve
coule,
bus
sur nos
f
bus
fleu - ve
15
f
bus
tê -
tes...
tê
-
tê
-
Ten.
156 p tes, sur nos tê
tes,
p
Bass.
Vln.
sur
tê
tes,
Vla.
Vc.
nos
like a mist
-
tes
s'é
tes
pp
pp
1 2
tes,
cou
-
like a mist
s'é
-
pp
-
-
cou
pp
-
-
cou -
le.
cou
-
le.
-
le.
s'é
s'é
-
-
-
le.
sul tasto
pp sul tasto
pp
16
5. Rondo II
161
Owen
q = 89
I can see no excuse for deceiving you about these last 4 days. I have suffered seventh hell.
pizz. Vln. Vla.
Vc.
mf
pizz.
mf
I 167 I have not been at the front. I have been in front of it. I held an advanced post, that is, a 'dug-out'
Owen
Vln.
pizz. Vc.
Owen
Vla.
mf
172 in the middle of No Man's Land. We had a march of 3 miles over shelled road then nearly 3 along
a flooded trench.
Vln.
arco
p arco
mp
p
mp
Vla. p mp arco Vc.
17 177 It was of course dark, too dark, and the ground was not mud, not sloppy mud, but an octopus of
Owen
Vln.
Vla.
Vc.
mf p mp mf
p
mf
p
mp
mp
J 182
Owen
sucking clay, 3, 4, and 5 feet deep
relieved only by craters full of water. Men have been known to drown in them. Many stuck in the mud, and only got on by leaving their waders, equipment, and in some cases their clothes.
pizz. Vln. mf mf pizz. Vla. mf mf pizz. Vc. mf mf
188
Owen
High explosives were dropping all around, and machine guns
But it was so dark that even the Germans' flares did not reveal us.
Vla. Vc.
Vln.
spluttered every few minutes.
18 Three-quarters dead, we reached the dug-out, and relieved the wretches therein.
194 My dug-out held 25 men tightly packed.
Owen
Vln.
Vla.
Vc.
200
arco
Vc.
205
Owen
p
arco
p
p
pizz.
mf pizz.
mf cresc, but don't drown the speaker pizz.
arco
staying there and decided we shouldn't. Those 50 hours were the agony of my happy life.
Vln. Vla.
Vc.
Water filled it to a depth of 1 or 2 feet, leaving say 4 feet of air. The Germans knew we were
Vla.
K
Owen
Vln.
cresc, but don't drown the speaker
cresc, but don't drown the speaker
mf
19 211 I nearly broke down and let myself drown in the water that was now slowly rising over my knees.
Owen
Vln.
217
Owen
Vln.
Vla.
Vc.
Vln.
arco
arco
Vc.
arco
Vla.
220
Owen
Vla.
Vc.
20
6. Love's Symphonic Hymn q . = 50
Ten.
p
223
Bass.
half mm, half uh in each part
mf sonorous
Voi- ci
sim. bowing Vln.
de quoi est fait
le
bowing sim.
p
Vla.
p
Vc.
bowing sim.
p
Ten. Bass. 226
chant sym-pho -ni - que de l'a- mour,
Vln.
Il y a le chant
de l'a- mour de ja - dis,
Vla.
Vc.
Ten. 229
Bass.
Vln.
f
le bruit
des bai-sers des a - mants
ill - us
-
tres,
mf
21
é - per dus,
Vla.
Vc.
L
Ten.
232
Bass. Vln.
mf
é - per - dus,
mp
Les cris
d'a mour
poco
des mor - tel
-
les,
mf
Vla.
Vc.
mf
mf
22
Ten. 235
Bass.
mf
vi - o - lées
subito p
mm
mf
par les dieux,
Il y a le cri
Vln.
Vla.
Vc.
de Sa - bi - ne
mp
mp
mp
238
Ten.
Bass.
Vln.
au mo- ment de l'en-lèv - e - ment,
Vla.
Vc.
M
mp
mp
f
uh 241
Ten.
23
p
mp
Bass.
Il y a au -ssi
Vln. Vla.
Vc.
poco
le cri
d'a - mour des fé-lins dans les jon - gles,
la ru -meur sour - des des sè - ves,
sul pont.
nat.
p sul pont.
poco
p sul pont.
poco
p
poco
nat.
nat.
Ten. uh 244
-
ah
Bass.
mon - tant dansles plan tes tro - pi - ca
Vln. Vla.
-
f
ff
les,
Le ton - nerre
des
ar - til- ler - ies,
ff
ff
Vc.
ff
24
uh 247
Ten.
Bass.
p
mp 1sts only
qui acc-om-pliss - ent le ter ri - ble/a -
mour
2
N
des peu - ples,
les va - gues de la mer
où
sul tasto Vln.
p sul tasto
Vla.
Vc.
p sul tasto
p
Ten. mm
250
Bass.
naît
la vie
et la beau- té,
il y a le chant
de tout l'a- mour
du mon - de.
Vln.
Vla.
Vc.
25
tutti gradually dim - - -
253
Ten.
Bass.
mm
tutti gradually dim - - Vln. Vla.
Vc.
Ten. 256
Bass.
Vln.
Vla.
Vc.
26
259
Owen
Vln.
Vc.
Vln.
I am more and more Christian as I walk the unchristian ways of Christendom.
mp
mp
mp
O
Already I have comprehended a light that never will filter into the dogma of any national church: namely, that one of Christ's essential commands was:
mf
Passivity at any price! Suffer dishonour and disgrace; but never resort to arms. Be bullied, be
272 outraged, be killed; but do not kill.
Owen
Vln.
Vla.
Vc.
Vla.
Vc.
265
Owen
Tempo primo
Vla.
7. Il Pleut
mp
27
P It may be a chimerical and an ignominious principle, but there it is. It can only be ignored
278 and I think pulpit professionals are ignoring it very skilfully and successfully indeed.
Owen
Vln.
pp
Vla.
pp
Vc.
pp
viola en dehors
p
mf
Ma Normandie
2
en dehors
viola en dehors
2
2
p
Christ is literally in no man's land. There men often hear His voice: greater love hath no man
283 than this, that a man lay down his life - for a friend. Is it spoken in English only and French?
Owen
Vln.
2
Vln.
Vla.
2
2
2
2
2
2
I do not believe so. Thus you see how pure Christianity will not fit in with pure patriotism.
Owen
288
Vc.
Vla.
Vc.
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
(wait n
28
292
Owen
2 Vln.
2
Vla.
2
Vc.
Q
297
ppp
mf
fp
Il
mf
A.
fp
Il
fp
Il
pleut,
pleut,
fp
Il
pleut,
il
pleut,
pleut,
Il
pleut,
to find the way to Babylon the Fallen. It is pock-marked like a body of foulest disease and its odour is the breath of cancer. I have not seen any dead. I have done worse. In the dank air
Sop.
fp
Il
pleut,
A. Il pleut, fp
fp
Il
pleut,
fp
Il
pleut,
mp
Il
pleut,
It is like the eternal place of gnashing of teeth; the Slough of Despond could be contained in one of its crater holes; the fires of Sodom and Gomorrah could not light a candle to it -
Sop.
Owen
ppp
Women's voices are offstage
305
ppp
Owen
2
2
They want to call No Man's Land 'England' because we keep supremacy there
mp
Il
pleut,
Owen
Sop.
A.
I have perceived it, and in the darkness, felt. No Man's 313 Land is like the face ofthe moon, chaotic, crater-ridden, uninhabitable, awful, the abode of MADNESS.
pp
pleut,
-
mes,
comme si
p
Il pleut des voix
A.
elles
des
fem
mes,
comme si
Il pleut des voix
Ten.
Bass.
seated
seated
mp
mp
pizz.
mf
mê - me,
elles
des
fem
Il
pleut,
3
3
-
pleut des voix des
mê - me dans
Vc.
mf
pizz.
mf
le
é - taient mor - tes,
3
-
mes,
comme si
3 3 3 Vln. pizz. 3 Vla.
Il
3
p
Il
é - taient mor - tes,
29
p
319
fem
optional pause
3
Sop.
Il
pleut,
pleut,
Il
pp Il
pp
Vln.
R Slightly faster q = c.73 (speaking should finish by here)
pleut,
3
30
322
Don't get louder yet
sou
Sop.
-
ve - nir,
c'est vous au -ssi
3 3
mê - me,
A.
elles
Bass.
le
sou
é - taient mor - tes,
Ten.
mê-me dans
-
pleut,
mer - veill - eu - ses ren - con - tres
ve - nir,
c'est vous au -ssi
3
mê - me,
3
mê - me dans
le
mp
mp
-
ve - nir,
pleut,
pleut,
3
sou
qui pleut,
3
Il
Don't get louder yet
Vc.
3
Il
Vln. Vla.
qui
3
3
3
3
3
31
S
325
de
Sop.
3
ma
mp
vie,
ô
3
mer - veill - eu - ses ren - con - tres
A.
c'est vous au -ssi
Bass.
qui pleut,
de
ma
vie,
mer -veill-eu - ses ren - con - tres
mp
3
3
Vc.
ô
gou - tte - le - ttes,
3
Il
mp
3
et ces nu - a - ges ca brés se
mp
3
3
gou - tte - le - ttes,
Il
Vln. Vla.
Ten.
de
ma
vie,
pleut,
pleut,
3 3
3 3
32
pren
3 3
328
-
nent à
hen - nir,
tout un
u - ni - vers
de
vil
-
les au - ri - cu- laires,
Sop.
3
et ces nu - a - ges ca-brés se
A.
mp
ô
Ten.
Bass.
Vln.
nent à
hen - nir,
tout un
et ces nu - a - ges ca- brés se
pren - nent à
mf
Il
3 3
mf
hen -
de
nir,
pleut,
Il
pleut,
3
3
3 3
u - ni - vers
3
3
3
Vla.
-
gou - tte - le - ttes,
3
Vc.
pren
3 3
3
331
f
é - cou - te
T
s'il
pleut
Sop.
vil
-
pleut
3
de
pleut
3
3
dé - dain,
et
le
dé - dain,
tan - dis que
le
re - gret
mf
Il
pleut,
mf
le
re - gret
Il
Vla.
le
et
f
Vln.
Vc.
u - ni - vers
tan - dis que
re - gret
les au - ri - cu- laires,
tout un
Bass.
le
f
Ten.
tan - dis que
3
A.
33
et
le
dé - dain,
pleut,
sempre pizz
ff
34
334
mf
mp
pleur - ent, pleur - ent,
Sop.
mf
A.
mf
pleur - ent, pleur
mp
pleur - ent, pleur - ent,
pleur - ent, pleur
pleur - ent, pleur - ent,
Ten.
Bass.
Vln.
Vla.
mf
mf
ent,
-
é
ent,
3
une an-cienne mu - si
-
que,
ff
sim.
é
ff
Vc.
-
mf
é
-
-
-
sim.
35
337
cou
-
p a white sound, very legato
te,
3
3
é - cou - te tom - ber
les
liens
qui te re - tien - nent,
Sop.
cou
-
A.
cou
-
p a white sound, very legato
te,
3
é - cou - te tom - ber
les
p a white sound, very legato
te,
é - cou
mm
mp
mp
Ten.
Bass.
te
tom -
mm
Vln. Vla.
-
arco no vib
arco no vib
Vc.
mp
mp
arco no vib
mp
36
U
3
341
de haut en
3
pp
bas,
é - cou
-
te
tom - ber
pp
les
liens
qui te re - tien nent,
Sop.
liens
A.
3
qui te re - tien nent,
ber
Ten.
Bass.
Vln.
3
les
liens
bas,
3
é - cou - te tom - ber
qui te re - tien nent,
de haut en bas,
é - cou
les
pp
3
Vla.
Vc.
de haut en
-
te
tom -
345
Sop.
37
de
liens
A.
haut
en
bas,
3
qui te
Bass.
Vc.
Vc.
de
en
bas,
haut
3
liens
qui te
re - tien - nent,
con sord.
con sord.
con sord.
mp
mp
mp
de
haut
en
bas,
348
Vla.
3
les
Ten. Bass. Vln.
Vln. Vla.
re - tien - nent,
ber
Ten.
p
p p
Photo © Patrick Douglas-Hamilton
An Ancient Music
Judith Bingham (b. 1952) studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where she was awarded the Principal’s prize in 1971. Bingham was a member of the BBC Singers, and from 2004–2009 was their composer in association. Although her output boasts many choral works, she is seen as an allrounder. Bingham’s catalogue includes pieces for brass band, symphonic wind ensemble and various chamber groups and solo instruments, concertos for trumpet and bassoon and tuba, several impressive works for large orchestra and diverse anthems and church works for UK cathedrals. In 2007 she became a Fellow of the Royal School of Church Music for distinguished services to church music.
Bingham
Judith Bingham
Judith Bingham ( *1952) studierte an der Royal Academy of Music in London und erhielt dort 1971 den Preis des Hochschulrektors. Bingham war Mitglied der BBC Singers und von 2004 bis 2009 deren Composer in Association. Obwohl ihr Schaffen zahlreiche Chorwerke umfasst, ist sie als vielseitige Komponistin bekannt. Bingham schrieb unter anderem Stücke für Blaskapelle, sinfonisches Bläserensemble sowie verschiedene Kammermusik-Besetzungen und Soloinstrumente, daneben Konzerte für Trompete, Fagott und Tuba, mehrere eindrucksvolle Werke für großes Orchester sowie diverse Choräle und geistliche Werke für verschiedene Kathedralen in Großbritannien. 2007 wurde sie für ihre besonderen Verdienste um die Kirchenmusik zum Fellow der Royal School of Church Music ernannt.
Edition Peters 71203
w w w.e d i t i o n p e t e r s .c o m