MCNEFF
The Celestial Stranger for Tenor and Orchestra
Full Score
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STEPHEN MCNEFF
The Celestial Stranger
for Tenor and Orchestra
Full Score
ZI G · L ONDO N · NE W YOR K
LEIP
ISSUU Version
For perusal only
The Celestial Stranger was inspired by the rediscovery in 1997, in the library of Lambeth Palace, texts by the 17th-century cleric and mystic, Thomas Traherne. In these, Traherne imagines a person from another world discovering earth and being enchanted by its beauty: ‘this little star, so wide and so full of mysteries.’ In this cycle of songs, our Stranger goes on to marvel at natural wonders and recounts how his (or her) brother imagines that, in jumping over a stream in the moonlight, he falls into a reverse world and ‘leaps over the moon’. In As Time Draws Nigh, the realities of the earth wake the Stranger up to the warlike industrialization of society, and the prophetic fear of a totalitarian regime are expressed in The Hand that Signed the Paper. Regretfully our traveller must leave – maybe one day to return.
CONTENTS
1. The Celestial Stranger 1
2. On Leaping Over the Moon 16
3. As Time Draws Nigh 31
4. The Hand that Signed the Paper 47
5. Farewell to Thee 55
ORCHESTRA
3 Flutes (3rd doubling Piccolo)
2 Oboes Cor Anglais
2 Clarinets in BBass Clarinet in B2 Bassoons Contrabassoon
4 Horns in F 3 Trumpets in B2 Trombones Bass Trombone Tuba
Timpani
Percussion
Tam-tam, Cymbals, Vibraphone, Xylophone, Crotales, Triangle, Glockenspiel, Drum set (Tom toms, Snare Drum, Suspended Cymbal, Chinese Cymbal, Pedal Bass Drum), Tubular Bells, Temple Blocks, Mark Tree, Bass Drum, Clash Cymbals, Bamboo Wind Chimes Harp
Strings
Duration c.20 minutes
Co-commissioned by BBC Radio 3 and RTE and first performed by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales on 16 May 2024 at BBC Hoddinott Hall, Cardiff
ThomasTraherne(1637-74)
TheCelestialStranger
StephenMcNeff
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5.FarewelltoThee
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Stephen McNeff
Stephen McNeff (b. 1951) studied at the Royal Academy of Music and has worked extensively in opera and music theatre, holding residences at Contact Theatre in Manchester, the Banff Centre, the Cabrillo Festival in California, Lawrence University and Comus Music Theatre in Canada. From 2005–2008 he was composer in residence with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra where he wrote three major orchestral works, Heiligenstadt, Secret Destinations, Sinfonia and the choral work Weathers. He won the British Composer Award for Best Stage Work in 2007. At the Royal Opera he is known for Clockwork (from Philip Pullman’s novel) and Gentle Giant
Stephen McNeff (*1951) studierte an der Royal Academy of Music und hatte zahlreiche Positionen im Bereich Oper und Musiktheater inne, darunter Residenzen am Contact Theatre in Manchester, am Banff Centre, beim kalifornischen Cabrillo Festival, an der Lawrence University sowie am Comus Music Theatre in Kanada. Von 2005 bis 2008 war er Composer in Residence beim Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra; hier entstanden die drei großen Orchesterwerke Heiligenstadt, Secret Destinations und Sinfonia sowie das Chorwerk Weathers 2007 gewann er den British Composer Award für das beste Bühnenwerk. Auf der Bühne von Covent Garden ist er mit Clockwork (nach dem Roman von Philip Pullman) und Gentle Giant hervorgetreten.
Photo © Christopher Wright