Peter Bloesch Listen

Choral ~ Holiday ~ with Keyboard



“This Endris Night”

(An original setting of the 15th-century text)



SOUND CLIP   /   WATCH VIDEO ON VIMEO   /   SCORE SAMPLE

SCORING:  SATB (minimal divisi) with optional solos for soprano and tenor, acc. by piano

DURATION:  ca. 4:40   —   DIFFICULTY:  2/5   —   PAGES IN PDF SCORE:  12

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DESCRIPTION

I know we shouldn't have favorites among our children OR our compositions, but this particular piece happens to be one of my favorites, of everything I've written.

I find this ancient poem (“This Endris Night”) to be incredibly moving, as it describes the gentle love between Mary and the Christ Child in such simple and touching words.

My goal in creating the music was to come up with a simple but beautiful melody — one that would reflect the purity of the words. Also, I wanted to highlight the dialogue between Mary and her Child by consistently give the words of Mary to the women, and the words of the Christ Child to the men.

I hope you will enjoy this simple but heartfelt piece.

TEXT INFO

This Endris Night

Anonymous 15th-century text

NOTES ON THE TEXT:

This 15th-century poem describes a dialogue between Mary and the Christ Child.

To clarify the poem somewhat, I’ve put:
♦ the words of Mary in regular font,
♦ the words of the Christ Child in bold,
♦ and the words of the narrator in italics.

COMPLETE TEXT:

This endris night I saw a sight,   [“this endris night” = the other night]
A star as bright as day.
And ever among, a maiden sung,   [“ever among” = every now and then]
“Bye bye, lully, lullay.”

This lovely lady sat and sang,
And to her child did say,
“My son, my brother, father dear,
Why liest thou thus in hay?”

“My sweetest bird, ’tis thus required,
Though I be king veray.”   [“veray” = truly]
“But nevertheless I will not cease
To sing, ‘Bye bye, lullay.’ ”

“For angels bright down on me light,   [“light” = alight]
Thou knowest ’tis no nay.   [“no nay” = undeniable]
And for that sight, thou may delight
To sing, ‘Bye bye, lullay.’ ”

“Now tell, sweet son, I do thee pray,
(Thou art my love and dear),
How should I keep thee to thy pay,   [“pay” = liking]
And make thee glad of cheer?

“For all thy will I would fulfill,
Thou knowest well, in fay.   [“fay” = faith]
And for all this, I will thee kiss,
And sing, ‘Bye bye, lullay.’ ”

“Now in thy arm, thou hold me warm,
And keep me night and day,
And if I weep, and may not sleep,
Thou sing, ‘Bye bye, lullay.’ ”

“Now my sweet son, since it is so,
That all is at thy will,
I pray thee grant to me a boon,   [“boon” = favor]
If it be right and skill.   [“skill” = reasonable]

“That child or man, who will or can
Be merry on this day,
To bliss thou bring, and shall I sing,
‘Bye bye, lully, lullay.’ ”

 

Watch video below!