singer, one-man choir, guitarist and composer
- 31 Jan 2012
- Prayer before the Close of Day for tuba and euphonium quartet
- Atmospheric piece based on the old Gregorian chant "Te lucis ante Terminum"
Beautiful performance by Tubalaté of my piece "Prayer before the Close of Day"
Score and parts at
http://dwsolo.musicaneo.com/sheetmusic/sm-85698_prayer_before_the_close_of_day__tub...
This performance by Tubalaté of Prayer before the close of day
is available on the CD "Move"
see Les Neish's website for more details:
http://www.tuba-artist.com/shop/tubalate-c-167_174.html
I composed the music especially at Tubalaté's request,
since they needed someting more gentle and contemplative to balance their CD, many pieces on that CD being rather more lively and at times cheeky.
I took the theme of the plainsong version of the old Latin hymn "Te Lucis ante terminum"
(= To Thee before the close of day)
and created a contemplative piece of about 7 minutes, ending with a favourite English cadence.
It is Tubalaté's favourite from amongst my compositions.
Since the words relate, among other things, to dusk and sunset, I have chosen some of the many beautiful sunset
photographs by Janoid (at Flickr) to illustrate it.
The words of the hymn are
Te lucis ante terminum,
rerum Creator, poscimus,
ut solita clementia,
sis praesul ad custodiam.
Procul recedant somnia,
et noctium phantasmata:
hostemque nostrum comprime,
ne polluantur corpora.
Praesta, Pater omnipotens,
per Iesum Christum Dominum,
qui tecum in perpetuum
regnat cum Sancto Spiritu.
Amen.
[English version:
To thee before the close of day,
Creator of the world, we pray
That, with thy wonted favour, thou
Wouldst be our guard and keeper now.
From all ill dreams defend our sight,
From fears and terrors of the night;
Withhold from us our ghostly foe,
That spot of sin we may not know.
O Father, that we ask be done,
Through Jesus Christ, thine only Son,
Who, with the Holy Ghost and thee,
Doth live and reign eternally.
Amen.