RYAN MOLLOY
Be Thou My Vision for SATB choir
Programme note Be Thou My Vision (2016) sets part of Eleanor Hull’s well-known translation of the sixth-century hymn text attributed to St Dallan (Rop Tú Do Baile). The partial setting here reflects my own experience of the hymn; at mass when I was young, it was usual to sing only the first, second and last verses and, as such, it is these words that resonate most strongly with me. This setting draws strongly on the modal frameworks of traditional Irish music for the harmonic material, reflecting (but not using) the well-known traditional air (‘Slane’) that has long been associated with the hymn. This piece is dedicated to Michael Dawson and the Maynooth University Chamber Choir in celebration of their win of the Choir of the World title and the Pavarotti Trophy at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in July 2015.
Performance directions Harmonics & vowel sounds In sections where square brackets are used in the text, performers are to sing the sounds not in square brackets, i.e. only the vowel sounds of the words. There should be a nasal quality to the sound such that the upper partials of the sound are strengthened. It is recommended that the head voice be used to achieve this. The change in vowel sound should alter the relative quality/strength of these partials and that these changes should be seamless.
Words Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart, Be all else but naught to me, save that thou art; Thou my best thought in the day and the night, Both waking and sleeping, thy presence my light. Be thou my wisdom, be thou my true word, Be thou ever with me, and I with thee Lord; Be thou my great Father, and I thy true son; Be thou in me dwelling, and I with thee one. […] High King of Heaven, thou Heaven's bright sun, O grant me its joys after victory is won!; Great heart of my own heart, whatever befall, Still be thou my vision, O Ruler of all.
Duration: ca 5’ w w w .r y a nm o l lo y .i e w w w .c m c. ie
Be Thou My Vision for Michael Dawson & the Maynooth University Chamber Choir
Words by Saint Dallan (c. 530-598), trans. Eleanor Hull (1912)
Soprano
° ### &
## &# ‹
Tenor
Bass
Steady, chant-like (e = ca 92)
∑
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Alto
¢
R Molloy
∑ p - head voice if possible,
∑
œ œ œ œ
[B]e a[ll] e[lse b]u[t n]au[ght t]o
p - head voice if possible,
accenuating harmonics, LEGATISSIMO!
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Ϫ
[B]e [th]ou [m]y [v]i - [si]o[n],
o
œ œ œ œ œ™ œ™ O [L]o[rd] o[f m]y [h]ea[rt],
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3
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accenuating harmonics, LEGATISSIMO!
o
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[s]a[ve th]a[t th]ou a[rt];
p (as before)
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œ
œ™ œ œ œ™ œ œ
[Th]ou [m]y [b]e[st th]ou[ght] i[n th]e [d]ay a[nd th]e
Copyright © 2016 Ryan Molloy
2
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[m]y
o
[l]i[ght].
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sion,
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O
Lord
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[w]o[rd],
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Be
38 œ
48
∑ mp
œ
[th]ou
∑
thou
∑
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[m]y
[w]i[s - d]o[m],
48 ˙
5 œ™ œ 16
œ œ™
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5 16 #œ ™ œ
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of
my
48 œ œ œ œ 16 5 œ™ œ of
mp (as before)
[B]e [th]ou e[v] e[r -
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my
heart,
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∑
38 Ϫ
7 16 œ ™™
38 Ϫ
p
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vi
[B]e
[th]ou [m]y
[tr]ue
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9 16
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∑
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Be
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9 œ™ œ 16
[w]i[th th]ee
[L]o[rd];
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9 16
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9 Ϊ 16
I
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9 16
7 œ™™ œ™ œ 16
œ
9 16
∑
7 œ™ œ œ 38 œ œ 16
a[nd]
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38
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7 œ™ œ œ œ ™ 16
heart,
w]i[th [m]e,
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7 16 œ ™™ my
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58 58
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[n]i[ght],
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p (as before)
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20 ° ### œ™ S. &
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all
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else
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but
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mp
Thou
j œ™ œ
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me,
save that thou
o
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to
me save that thou
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f]a - [th]e[r], a[nd]
58
j œ™ œ
∑
my best
∑
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∑ sfp
58 œ œ ™ œ œ™ thought
58
∑
o ° ### 3 ™ 9 œœ ™™ œœj ™™ 48 œj ‰ Œ S. & 8 œœ ™ œœ ™™ 16 A.
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9 Ϫ 16 Ϫ
### 3 & 8 ‹
9 16
the
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o j j œœ ™™ 48 œœ ‰ Œ
night,
night,
∑
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my
heart,
B mp 38 œ œ 38 œ ™ œ™ 38
pp [ord.]
o
[B]e
[th]ou i[n m]e
Ϫ
7 16
in
the
and
48 œ ™ œ œ 16 7 œ œ œ™ œ œ in
the
7 16
∑
o
j œœ ™™ 38
day
vi - sion,
∑
7 16
nœ ™ œ
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∑
5 16
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7 œ œ œ™ ‰ ™ œ ™ 16
my
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5 16
7 16
j œœ ™™
day
38
and
38
∑
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5 16
naught to
∑
mp (as before)
[s]o[n];
48
∑
38 œ œ
7 16
7 œœ œ 48 œ ™ œ œ 16
my best thought
pp [ord.]
Ϫ 4 J 8
68 Œ ™
[th]y [tr]ue
48 œ œœ œœ œœ 16 5 œœ ™™ œœ Be all else but
œ 9 œ™ 16
I
Be thou
33
the
art;
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## 5 & # œ ™ œ œ œJ ™ œ œ ™ œ œ 8 œ œ ™ ‹ [dw]e - [ll]i[ng], a[nd] I [w]i[th th]ee o[ne]. ? ###
art;
6 œœ ™™ œœ nnœœ nnœœ ™™ nœœ ##œœ 8 nn˙˙ ™™
œ ™™ œ™™
Thou
T.
naught
[th]ou [m]y [gr]ea[t
26 ° ### œ ™™ œ™™ S. &
A.
œœ
œ™ 7 œ™ œ J 16
sfp
to
mf
mf
mp (as before)
[B]e
˙™ œ ™ œ œ 68 ˙™
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but naught
7 œ™ œ œ ™ 16
Ϫ
Be
T.
7 œ™ œ œ ™ 16 J
3
pp
O
Both
∑
9 16 9 16
œ™™
7 œœ ™™ œœ œœ 16 9 œœ ™™ œœ œœ ™™ œœ 16 me,
∑
save
∑
7 16
that thou
∑
9 16
4
40 ° ### 9 S. & 16
∑
7 j 16 œ™ œ ™™ and
### 9 & 16
A.
Ϊ
pp
o
7 j j 16 ™ ™ ™ ™ œ œ œ œ œ ™™
wa - king
# #9 7 & # 16 œœ ™™ œœJ ™™ œœ ™™ œœJ ™™ 16 ‹ art;
T.
B.
¢
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∑
o
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slee
-
œ ™™
∑ ∑
68 ˙™
-
ping,
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68
∑
68 Œ ™ nœ ™
7 16
∑
Both
∑
∑
wa - king and slee - ping thy
pp
Thou my bestthought in the day and the
∑
7 œ œ œ™ œ™ œ œ 16
pp
7 œ™ œœ œœ œœ ™™ œœœœ œœ ™™ œœ œœ 68 ˙˙ ™™ 16
∑
o
7 16 œ ™™
o
7 16
night,
∑
(Optionally, a little faster/freer)
° ### S. & 48
## &#
A.
T.
B.
¢
∑ ∑
∑ ∑
58
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58
∑
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58
∑
pp My
∑
∑
(mp) *
ΠϪ > Ϫ >
Thou
∑
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Wis (mp) dom
pp
∑
o œ ‰ Œ™ J
## & # œJ ™ œ œ ™ œ œ 58 œ œ ™ ‹ pre-sence my light. ? ###
C
Œ > œ œ œœ ™™
∑
∑
*
4 œœ ™™ œœ 4 w w *
*
3 3 Œ ™ œ 44 œ œ œ œj œ œ J
SOLO/DUO:
(mp) > œ™ œ œ™ œ œ œ™ Œ™ œ œ™ œ œ œ™
pp
Be ([b]e)
4 œ™ œ™ œœ 4 w w
*
mf
Be
thou
my wis
œ™ œ 4 w œ™ œ 4 w
* Breathe alternately to sustain sound
° ### S. & w w
w w
w w
w w
## &# w w
w w
w w
w w
57
A.
T.
B.
### j3 œ nœ œ & ‹ - dom,
? ### w ¢ w
j œ ‰ œ
be
œ thou
w w
j3 j3 œ œ œ œ œ my
true
word,
œ w w
Œ
3
Œ œ œ Be
thou
fi
œ œfij nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ J J J w w
e - ver
3
with me,
5
61 ° ### S. & w w
w w
w w
w w
A.
## &# w w
w w
w w
w w
T.
### ‰ 3 œ & œ ‹ and I
B.
œ3 œ œ3 œ J J with
? ### w ¢ w
65 ° ### S. & w w
### &
A.
Ϫ
thee Lord;
Be
w w
w w
œ
œ thou
3 3 œnœfiœ œ œj œ œ J
my
w w
w w
great Fa
-
j3 œ nœ œ ther,
w w
45 ˙˙
w w
Œ
œ
and
˙˙
Œ
7 16
Œ
7 16
- - - [o]ne.
w w
w w
w w
45 ˙˙
w w
˙˙
- - - [o]ne.
3 3 j 3 3 ### j3 j3 j 5 nœfiœ œ œ Œ Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Ó œ œ œ œ œ œ & œ œ œ œ 4 œ œ œ >˙ Œ œ > > > ‹ I thy true son; Be thou in me dwel - ling, and I with thee one.
T.
#w ? # # B. ¢ w
w w
w w
(Tempo 1º (e = ca 92))
D 70 ° ### 7 S. & 16
Ϫ
∑
# #7 & # 16
A.
f
Ϫ
High
# #7 & # 16 œ ™ ‹ High TUTTI:
T.
¢
? ### 16 7
f
œœ œœœ
king
of
œœ nœœœ
œœœ ™™ œœœ œœœ
hea - ven, thou
œœ nœœœ nœœœ ™™™ œœœ œœœ
king
∑
of
w w
ff
f
hea - ven, thou
B.
‰ Œ
hea - ven, thou
œ ™ œœ œœœ f
hea - ven, thou
Ϫ
œ
œ
68 Ϫ
Hea - ven's bright
ff
Ϫ
œ
œ
Ϫ
œ
œ
Hea - ven's bright ff
Hea - ven's bright
ff
#œ ™
œ
œ
Hea - ven's bright
sun,
68
Ϫ
54 ˙ ˙
Œ
- - - [o]ne.
‰™ ‰™
sun,
68 Ϫ
‰™
68 #œ ™
‰™
sun,
sun,
˙ ˙
j Ϫ >
O
j Ϫ >
O
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O
j œ> ™
O
7 œ 16 œ
œ œ
grant me
œ ™™ œ
its
7 16 n œœ œœ œœ ™™ grant me
its
7 œ 16
œœ nœœ ™™
7 œ 16
œ nœ ™
grant me
grant me
its
its
7 16 7 16
6
75 ° ### ™ œœ ™ œœ œœ S. &
## &#
A.
joys
j œœ ™™ œœ
af - ter
vic - t'ry
af - ter
vic - t'ry
af - ter
° ### j œ™ œ S. &
#œ ™ œ œ 58 œ ™ is
[Gr]ea[t]
-
œœ ™™
fall,
( U)
## & # œ™ œ nœ bœ ™ nœ #œ 68 ˙˙ ™™ œ n œ b œ ™ n œ# œ
A.
own heart what - e - ver be
-
Ϫ Ϫ
fall,
( U)
## 6 & # œ™ #œœ œœ nœœ ™™ œœ nbœœ 8 #n˙˙ ™™ ‹ own heart what - e - ver be - fall,
T.
? ### œ ™™ B. ¢ ™™ >œ
œ ™™ ™™ >œ
[m]y
œœ
heart of
my own
j Ϫ Ϫ
Great
heart
of
my
Great
heart
of
my
7 nœ ™ œ n>œ ™ œ ™ œ™ 16 œ œ™ ™ >œ
[h]ea[rt]
j 7 œ ™ 16 œ ™™ ™ ™™ œ >œ o[f]
œœ ™™
7 œœ ™™™™ 16
œœ ™™™™
œœ ™™™™
œœ ™™
7 œ ™™ 16 œ ™™
œœ ™™™™
œœ ™™™™
œ™ œ œ
œ™ œ J
A little slower and rall. to end (e = ca 84)
* pp
*
o mp 7 œ œ œ™ ‰ ‰ ™ œ ™ 16 J
o ™ œ ‰ Œ
( U)
68 ˙™ >
o[wn]
pp
7 œj™ œ œœ ™™ œœ ™™ œœ ™™ 16 œ™ œ
7 16 nœ ™ œ œ >œ™ œ™ œ ™
∑
9 œ™ 16 ™ >œ
Œ
won!;
˙™ œ™ œ œ 68 ˙ ™ e - ver be
Great
∑
9 16
Œ
won!;
( U)
-
9 16
j œœ ™™ >
won!;
is
vic - t'ry
82
heart, what
Œ
œ ™ œ œ 58 œ ™ #œ ™ œ œ œ™
? ### œ ™ œ œ #œ ™ œ B. ¢ J joys
58 œœ ™™ œœ œœ œœ ™™
9 Ϊ 16
won!;
is
j ## & # œœ ™™ œœ œœ #œœ ™™ œœ ‹ joys af - ter vic - t'ry
T.
Œ
is
j n œœ ™™ œœ œœ # œœ ™™ œœ joys
œœ ™™ œœ œœ 58 œœ ™™
Still
be thou my
7 16
[h]ea[rt],
vi - sion, O
∑
Ru - ler
∑
∑
* No break between these chords is desirable, then alternate breathing as before to sustain the chord.
° ### œœ ™™ ™™ S. &
œœ ™™™™
œœ ™™™™
œœ ™™™™
œœ ™™™™
œœ ™™™™
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89
A.
T.
B.
¢
## & # œ™ œ ‹ of ? ### ‰ ™ œ
ppp
[B]e
œ
œ ™™
œ ™™
all.
œ
œ
[th]ou [m]y
Ϫ
Ϫ
[v]i - [s]io[n],
œ œ
O
[L]o[rd]
j Ϫ
o
œ
o[f]
∑
∑
œ™ œ œ
[m]y
œ ™™
[h]ea[rt].
o o ∑
œ ™™
o
Maynooth 23.ii.2016