Lacrimas Julian David Bryson Text from Psalm 126:5 and Confessions by St. Austine of Hippo SATB Choir and Solo Mezzo-Soprano, a cappella
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Text and Translation Et dimisi lacrimas, quas continebam, ut effluerent quantum vellent. substernens eas cordi meo et requievit eis. —St. Augusting of Hippo
And sending out tears, where I was holding them in, so that they should flow so smoothly, they spread out beneath my heart, and it rests on them. Translation by Dr. Christopher Craig
Qui seminant in lacrimas They that sow in tears in exultation metent. will reap in joy. —Psalm 126:5
Program Notes Lacrimas weaves a familiar Psalm text into a poignant moment from St. Augustine's Confessions. Musically, the piece develops in waves that emanate from the opening “sobbing” gesture. The soloist takes the last four notes of the choral melody as seed and begins to sow them in reverse order. Similar trading of material continues through the opening section, before tears finally break free into a murmuring brook. Over this stream, the soloist “flows smoothly” through the sowing theme, now in major. The ensemble ascends to new heights just before the basses follow fragments of the sobbing theme into the depths. Other voices follow in imitation, providing tearful support on which the heart attempts to rest. A restatement of the sobbing theme leads to a joyful climax as singers reap the fruit of their sorrow. Rest finally arrives in the final, optimistic, upward resolution.
Premiered by the University of Alabama in Huntsville Chamber Chorale, Conducted by Erin Colwitz for the Huntsville New Music Festival, February 11, 2011
Cover image created by Janeke88, https://pixabay.com/en/users/Janeke88-975535/
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Lacrimas Psalm 126:5 and St. Augustine of Hippo Translated by Dr. Christopher Craig
Julian David Bryson
e = 80 mf (and sending out tears,)
Soprano
Et di - mi - si,
et di - mi - si,
Et di - mi- si la- cri - mas
la- cri - mas,
la- cri
Et di - mi - si,
et di - mi - si,
Et di - mi- si la- cri - mas
la- cri - mas,
la- cri
- mas
la- cri - mas,
la- cri
Et di - mi- si la- cri - mas
la- cri - mas,
la- cri
mf
Alto
Et di-mi- si, et di - mi - si, Et di - mi- si la- cri mf mf
Tenor
Bass
Piano (for rehearsal use only)
Solo
Et di - mi - si,
mf
6
S.
e = 80
et di - mi - si,
Qui
se - mi - nant in
mas,
B.
la - cri - mas,
mf
Qui
3
Et di - mi - si, p
Et di - mi - si la - cri - mas, et di - mi - si la - cri - mas
Et di - mi - si,
Et di - mi - si la - cri - mas, et di - mi - si la - cri - mas
mas,
3
p
3
Et di - mi - si la - cri - mas, et di - mi - si la - cri - mas
3
p
This score is not licensed
la - cri - mas in
mas,
T.
(they that sow in tears) mp 3
mas,
A.
3
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Solo 4
S.
T.
B.
se - mi - nant in
la - cri - mas, in
mf
q = 55
la - cri - mas.
A.
3
10
3
Qui mf
se - mi - nant in 3
Qui mf
mf
3
3
3
q = 55
S.
se - mi - nant in 3
A.
se - mi - nant
3
Et
di
-
B.
la- cri - mas, la -
mi - si
la - cri- mas
3
la - cri - mas,la 3
se-mi-nant in la-cri-mas Qui se-mi-nant in la- cri - mas, la 3
se - mi - nant 3
Et
di
-
mi - si rit.
la - cri- mas
3
3
3 3
3
3
3
-
cri - mas.
-
Quas con - ti - ne - bam.
p 3
cri - mas.
la - cri - mas,la 3
(where I was holding them in) q = 45 3 p
Quas con - ti - ne - bam.
p 3
cri - mas.
3 3
3
3 3
3
T.
3
la- cri - mas Qui se - mi - nant in
3
3
la - cri - mas Qui
se - mi - nant in
rit.
13
la - cri - mas Qui
se - mi - nant in
Qui 3
la - cri - mas Qui
se - mi - nant in
Qui
la - cri - mas Qui
-
Quas con - ti - ne - bam.
p 3
cri - mas.
Quas con - ti - ne - bam. q = 45
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3
33
3
(so that they should flow so smoothly) mp
Solo 17
3 3
Quas con - ti - ne - bam. pp With fluidity; soften the consonants.
A.
3
Quas pp
T.
B.
Quas
con
-
ti
19
vel
-
-
lent,
ut
3
3
ti
-
ne
-
3 Quas con - ti - ne
T.
B.
3
bam.
3
Quas
con
-
ti
-
3
Quas
- bam. Quas con - ti - ne - bam.
ne - bam.
con - ti
-
ne (mp)
vel
bam.
Quas
3
-
lent, 3
con
Quas con - ti -
3
-
ti
-
3
ne
-
Quas con - ti - ne - bam. Quas con - ti - ne - bam. (mp)
ne - bam. 3
-
3
3
3
ne - bam. Quas con - ti - ne - bam. Quas con - ti - ne - bam. Quas con - ti - ne - bam. (mp)
A.
con - ti
3
3
-
Quas
con
3
3
Quas
Quas con - ti - ne - bam.
ne - bam.
ef - flu - e - rent quar - tum (mp)
3
(p)
lent,
Quas con - ti -
bam.
con - ti
3
3
-
3
Quas
ne
Quas con - ti - ne - bam.
3
-
- bam.
con - ti - ne - bam.
3
pp With fluidity; soften the consonants.
-
3
3
3 Quas con - ti - ne - bam. Quas con - ti - ne Quas
3
Quas con - ti - ne - bam.
3
3
quan-tum vel
Quas con - ti - ne - bam.
con - ti - ne - bam. With fluidity; soften the consonants.
ef - flu - e - rent
3
Solo S.
ut
pp With fluidity; soften the consonants. 3
S.
5
3
Quas
3
con - ti
-
ne - bam.
3
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Quas
Solo 6
21
S.
ef - flu - e - rent
3
3
ut
(f)
3
3
3
3
quar - tum (mf)
vel
-
lent
3
ut
3
ef - flu - e - rent 3
ne - bam. Quas con - ti - ne - bam. Quas con - ti - ne - bam. Quas con - ti - ne - bam. Quas con - ti (mf)
A.
3
bam.
Quas
con
3
T.
B.
Quas con - ti - ne
con - ti
ti
-
-
3
con
-
ti
-
ne
-
bam.
3
ne - bam. (f)
- bam.
-
bam.
(f)
ti
-
ne
-
bam.
Quas
3
ne - bam.
q = 72
con - ti
3
-
ne - bam.
3
(they spread out beneath my heart)
Quas 3
3
mf
sub -
(f)
con - ti - ne 3
-
(f)
3
3
Quas
-
-
3
(ff)
con
3
Quas con - ti - ne - bam. Quas con - ti - ne - bam. (mf)
bam.
Quas con - ti - ne - bam. Quas con - ti - ne
T.
B.
-
3
ti
ne - bam. Quas con - ti - ne A.
3
3
quar - tum vel - lent, quas con
Quas (mf)
con - ti
3
Solo
bam.
Quas
23
S.
-
3
- bam. Quas con - ti - ne - bam.
3
ne
ne - bam.
3
-
-
3
mf
sub- ster - nens
q = 72
e - as cor - di me - o
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Solo 27
T.
cor
di
-
di
me
-
o, cor
-
di
Solo 3
re - qui - e - vit, et re - qui - e - vit e
A.
T.
B.
3
3
-
o
o
cor
-
di
me
me
-
is.
cor - di
cor - di
cor - di
me - o
me
me - o
me
me - o
me
me - o
me
-
-
-
o
o
-
-
me
-
me
o
me
o
me
-
-
-
o
o,
me - o
(my heart)
-
sub - ster - nens e - as cor - di
me - o, cor - di
(freely) (and it rests on them)
S.
-
Et
me
e - as cor - di me - o
me
32
3
cor - di
cor
-
e - as
sub - ster - nens
ster - nens e - as cor - di me - o p
p
sub ster - nens mp
A.
mf
S.
B.
mf 7
cor - di
o
me - o
o
o
o
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me - o
me - o
me - o
8 Solo
39
S.
cor
A.
cor
T.
B.
Solo
cor
-
-
-
-
di
Qui sempre pp
se - mi - nant in
Qui sempre pp
se - mi - nant in
la
di
la
di
Qui se - mi - nant in sempre pp (in falsetto)
di
Qui q = 60
la
se - mi - nant in
la
B.
-
-
-
cri
cri
cri
cri
-
-
-
-
Qui
mas
se - mi - nant in
mas
mas
mas
e = 80
Qui
Et di - mi - si,
Et di - mi - si,
3
3
3
se - mi - nant in
la - cri - mas, in la - cri - mas.
la - cri - mas in
q = 60 (will reap in joy)
3
Et di - mi - si la - cri - mas, et di - mi - si la- cri - mas
accel.
3 3 3
mp
in ex - ul mp
in ex - ul mp
Et di - mi - si la - cri - mas, et di - mi - si la- cri - mas
accel.
mp
Et di - mi - si la - cri - mas, et di - mi - si la- cri - mas
T.
-
3
A.
e = 80 (They that sow in tears) 3 p
sempre pp
la - cri - mas,
S.
cor
45
q = 60
in ex - ul mp
in ex - ul -
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q = 60
S.
50
ta
-
A.
ta
T.
B.
ta
-
ti
-
o - ne,
in
ex - ul
-
ta
-
ti
-
o
-
ne,
in
ex - ul -
ti
-
o - ne,
in
ex - ul
-
ta
-
ti
-
o
-
ne,
in
ex - ul -
in
ex - ul
-
ta
-
ti
-
o
-
ne,
in
ex - ul -
in
ex - ul -
-
-
ta
9
ti
-
o - ne,
ti
-
o - ne,
in
ex - ul
-
ta
-
ti
-
o
-
ne,
(And it rests on them)
Solo 54
S.
ta
A.
ta
T.
B.
ta
ta
-
ti
-
o
-
-
-
ti
ti
-
-
ti
o
-
-
ne
me -
ne
me -
o
-
o
ne
me -
-
-
ne
me -
tent,
3 Et re - qui - e - vit e pp
tent,
tent,
tent,
rit.
e = 72
mp
e = 72
rit.
3
e
-
e
-
e
-
This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
-
pp
pp
is.
e
pp
-
is.
is.
is.
is.
This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.
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