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Works

Memento

Ode VII from "Kanon pokajanen"

1994 / 1997

Scored for

mixed choir (SATB) a cappella

Duration

7–9 min

Short description

The a cappella choir piece Memento, composed in 1994, is the second time the composer has set a part of the Canon of Repentance to music. The basis of the work is the 7th song of the canon, and as in the 9th song Nyne k vam, composed in 1989, here too the irmos part was initially not included. Memento was commissioned by the International Youth Choir Music Forum from Rottenburg and Göteborg’s Festival of Nordic Music for the Pan-European project El Canto. The composition premiered in 1995 in two cities, Strasbourg on 26 April and Göteborg on 6 May.

Memento and Nyne k vam, were composed following the same composition principle. A canon usually includes five parts: the opening troparion or irmos…

The a cappella choir piece Memento, composed in 1994, is the second time the composer has set a part of the Canon of Repentance to music. The basis of the work is the 7th song of the canon, and as in the 9th song Nyne k vam, composed in 1989, here too the irmos part was initially not included. Memento was commissioned by the International Youth Choir Music Forum from Rottenburg and Göteborg’s Festival of Nordic Music for the Pan-European project El Canto. The composition premiered in 1995 in two cities, Strasbourg on 26 April and Göteborg on 6 May.

Memento and Nyne k vam, were composed following the same composition principle. A canon usually includes five parts: the opening troparion or irmos that praises God is followed by four stanzas or troparia reflecting the feebleness of the human soul and deep repentance for past mistakes. In the second and fourth troparion the musical material is mostly performed by male voices, where the melodic shape of the bass is often moving in fourths, while the tenors are singing the tintinnabuli-notes. The third and fifth troparion, despite the stern character of the text, have a brighter and more hopeful sound and these are often sung by a smaller group of singers.

World premiere

26.04.1995
Strasbourg Cathedral, Strasbourg, France

Concert: Uraufführung der europäischen Auftragswerke von El Canto

Gösta Ohlins Vokalensemble , Gunno Palmquist (conductor)

Performances

06.05.1995

Concert: Uraufführung der europäischen Auftragswerke von El Canto

Gothenburg Cathedral, Gothenburg, Västra Götaland, Sweden

Gösta Ohlins Vokalensemble , Gunno Palmquist (conductor), Gösta Ohlins Vokalensemble , Gunno Palmquist (conductor)

Other titles

Воспомяни, душе моя...

Completion year

1994

Revision year

1997

Dedication

to International Forum of New Choral Music, Rotenburg and Gothenburg Nordic Music Festival

Commissioned by

International Forum of New Choral Music, Rotenburg and Gothenburg Nordic Music Festival

Scored for

mixed choir (SATB) a cappella

Duration

7–9 min

Publishers

Universal Edition

Language

Church Slavonic

Vocal text

Ode VII from Canon of Repentance to Our Lord Jesus Christ

Песнь 7

Ирмос: Росодательну убо пещь содела Ангел преподобным отроком, халдеи же опаляющее веление Божие, мучителя увеща вопити: благословен еси, Боже отец наших.
Помилуй мя, Боже, помилуй мя.
Не надейся, душе моя, на тленное богатство и на неправедное собрание, вся бо сия не веси кому оставиши, но возопий: помилуй мя, Христе Боже, недостойнаго.
Помилуй мя, Боже, помилуй мя.
Не уповай, душе моя, на телесное здравие и на скоромимоходящую красоту, видиши бо, яко сильнии и младии умирают; но возопий: помилуй мя, Христе Боже, недостойнаго.
Слава Отцу, и Сыну, и Святому Духу.
Воспомяни, душе моя, вечное житие, Царство Небесное, уготованное святым, и тьму кромешную и гнев Божий злым, и возопий: помилуй мя, Христе Боже, недостойнаго.
И ныне, и присно, и во веки веков, аминь.
Припади, душе моя, к Божией Матери и помолися Той, есть бо скорая помощница…
Ode VII from Canon of Repentance to Our Lord Jesus Christ

Песнь 7

Ирмос: Росодательну убо пещь содела Ангел преподобным отроком, халдеи же опаляющее веление Божие, мучителя увеща вопити: благословен еси, Боже отец наших.
Помилуй мя, Боже, помилуй мя.
Не надейся, душе моя, на тленное богатство и на неправедное собрание, вся бо сия не веси кому оставиши, но возопий: помилуй мя, Христе Боже, недостойнаго.
Помилуй мя, Боже, помилуй мя.
Не уповай, душе моя, на телесное здравие и на скоромимоходящую красоту, видиши бо, яко сильнии и младии умирают; но возопий: помилуй мя, Христе Боже, недостойнаго.
Слава Отцу, и Сыну, и Святому Духу.
Воспомяни, душе моя, вечное житие, Царство Небесное, уготованное святым, и тьму кромешную и гнев Божий злым, и возопий: помилуй мя, Христе Боже, недостойнаго.
И ныне, и присно, и во веки веков, аминь.
Припади, душе моя, к Божией Матери и помолися Той, есть бо скорая помощница кающимся, умолит Сына Христа Бога, и помилует мя недостойнаго.


Ode VII

Irmos: An Angel made the furnace sprinkle dew on the righteous youths. But the command of God consumed the Chaldeans and prevailed upon the tyrant to cry: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
Troparia: Put not thy hope, my soul, in corruptible wealth, and for what is unjustly collected. For thou dost not know to whom thou wilt leave it all. But cry aloud: O Christ our God, have mercy on me, who am unworthy.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
Trust not, my soul, in health of body and quickly-passing beauty. For thou seest that the strong and the young die. But say: O Christ our God, have mercy on me, who am unworthy.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Remember, my soul, eternal life and the Heavenly Kingdom prepared for the saints, and the outer darkness and the wrath of God for the evil, and cry: O Christ our God, have mercy on me, who am unworthy.
Both now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Theotokion: Fall down, my soul, before the Mother of God, and pray to her; for she is the quick helper of those that repent. She entreateth the Son, Christ God, and hath mercy on me the unworthy.
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