This guide is included as a pdf on a cd audio sampler, with track numbers referred. Cecilias day auden honours the patroness of musicians in a poem set to music by benjamin britten, the poets friend and onetime lover, who was born on st. An analysis for performance of brittens hymn to st. Britten hymn to st cecilia choral music compositions scribd. Introduction and purpose the purpose of this paper is four. Benjamin britten could occasionally be disparaging about pretwentieth century. The most popular vocal score for brittens hymn to st cecilia is shown below.
Today we sing five works by britten, ranging from his most familiar, a ceremony of carols, to his most obscure, a. Audeneach followed by a fourline invocation to cecilia, the patron saint of music. Choir of st johns college, cambridgechristopher robinson naxos 8. This was to be one of the last works they collaborated on. Hymn to st cecilia here is a clickable table of the available midi files for this work. The choir of kings college, cambridge under conductor stephen cleobury presents brittens enchanting choral masterpiece, saint nicolas, with hymn to st cecilia and rejoice in the lamb, celebrating 100 years since benjamin brittens birth. Benjamin britten had set several of audens poems, but the song, a longer. Musicology thesis table of contents acknowledgements introduction chapter 1 a background to audens poem and brittens setting chapter 2 an analysis of audens anthem chapter 3 brittens formal construction chapter 4 harmonic and rhythmic elements in brittens hymn chapter. A chief provider and curator of catholic information on the web since 1996. As mountain streams find one another till they are both merged there. Cecilia was written on brittens voyage home from america to england, in 1942.
I am quite a fan of the music of benjamin britten, whether the early works such as the rumbustious sinfonietta or the playful frank bridge variations, the middle masterpieces like peter grimes or the war requiem, or the austere final works such as death in venice or phaedra. But she was also an accomplished author and poet, with many published works including the definitive biography of rvw. Check out benjamin britten, hymn to st cecilia, sacred and profane by quink vocal ensemble on amazon music. A hymn to the virgin for unaccompanied chorus 1930 is one of benjamin brittens earliest works. Choral sheet music book by benjamin britten 191976. Autograph music manuscript, in pencil, with an addition in red crayon on f. Provided to youtube by the orchard enterprises hymn to st. Its brevity also makes it either suitable as an introit for a service mixed voices with keyboard commemorating columba, or perhaps, at all souls or even remembrance. The poems division into three movements gives britten his musical structure, and the provision of a refrain blessed cecilia, appear in visions to all musicians, appear and inspire. In fact, this composition is the earliest surviving piece of church music written by the composer. Cecilia s day 1987 table of contents acknowledgements introduction chapter 1 a background to audens poem and britten s setting chapter 2 an. Here is a clickable table of the available midi files for this work. Either your browser does not support inline frames or it is currently configured not to display inline frames.
Learn to sing britten hymn to st cecilia, rehearse your satb voice part learning your voice part soprano, alto, tenor, bass in brittens hymn to st cecilia does require you to dedicate some time to ensure you know the notes you are singing so you will sing with confidence and really enjoy fully contributing to your choir. Benjamin britten hymn to st cecelia with score youtube. Cecilia choral dances from gloriana five flower songs on discogs. Cecilias day, and he later published the poem as anthem for st.
Hymns to saint cecilia cda68047 hyperion records mp3. Hymn to saint cecilia, op 27 britten from sigcd085. The departure from america coincided with brittens final severance from audens influence, but just before he left he began work on a setting of audens three poems a song to st cecilia. Britten received his early education at a public school, known as gresham. Johns college, cambridge, christopher robinson on spotify. Print and download in pdf or midi a hymn to the virgin. Brittens setting was immediately recognised as a major addition to the choral repertory and has since become one of his most enduringly popular choral works.
Cecilia performed by british vocal ensemble tenebrae and nigel short. Musicology thesis table of contents acknowledgements introduction chapter 1 a background to audens poem and britten s setting chapter 2 an analysis of audens anthem chapter 3 britten s formal construction chapter 4 harmonic and rhythmic elements in britten s hymn chapter. Audens extensively revised song for st cecilias day. Cecilia the choral union a tradition of excellence cortland, ny. The musicians benevolent fund revived the tradition of an annual service of celebration for st cecilia in 1947, and has marked the occasion with a new commission almost every year. The choirs blend is excellent and i admire very much the fresh tone that they produce. Britten hymn to st cecilia free download as pdf file. Robert brittens youthful ambition to become a farmer had been thwarted by lack of capital, and he had instead trained as a. If you want a player with playlist facilities, i suggest either van bascos or winamp. Astute in dramatic pacing and alive to brittens imaginative impulse, this st nicolas is complemented by the kings choir alone in radiant performances of the. I had thought until recently that my favourite works of his were the wonderfully inventive nocturne for tenor, strings. In many ways it was brittens hymn to saint ceciliafirst performed on the radio in 1942that rekindled musicians interest in. Vaughanwilliams was of course, the wife of the great english composer ralph vaughanwilliams.
Firstly, in order to adequately construct a viable analysis of benjamin brittens. While perhaps less familiar than those works, the hymn to st. These were dedicated to him brittens birthday fell on st cecilias day, 22 november, but he found himself unable to complete the work. Hymn to st cecilia david hill conducts the bbc singers in a performance of brittens hymn to st cecilia recorded live at st. A hymn to the virgin sheet music for piano download free. The hymn to st cecilia was begun during brittens stay in the united states in the. As part of this years celebration of the centenary of benjamin brittens birth, the choir of kings college, cambridge under conductor stephen cleobury presents brittens enchanting choral masterpiece saint nicolas, coupled with the hymn to st.
I am defeat, when it knows it can now do nothing by suffering. Hymn to st cecilia sheet music by benjamin britten sku. Britten was born in the fishing port of lowestoft in suffolk, on the east coast of england on 22 november 19, the feast day of saint cecilia. Free free benjamin britten sheet music sheet music pieces to download from. Hymns to saint cecilia cda68047 hyperion records mp3 and. On sale through our online shop orders will be despatched by mail from our online shop. Auden, originally titled three songs for st cecilias day rapid scherzo. Cecilias day in 1942 brittens twentyninth birthday. Auden, audens milton, and songs for virgins literature and. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Benjamin britten choral director and composer biography. Britten responds to audens extraordinary imagery with relish.
In many ways it was brittens hymn to st ceciliafirst performed on the radio in 1942that rekindled musicians interest in celebrating their patron saint. Cecilia is, of course, the patron saint of musicians who is supposed to have sung praises to god as she was being cecllia. Cecilia which work very well together in a concert and around which an imaginative programme can be built. Thinking of saint cecilia, reminds me of one of my favorite poems, a hymn for saint cecilia by ursula vaughanwilliams. New york customs had lost the first section, so he had to rewrite it from memory. Britten choral works i classical music album play streams in full or download mp3 from classical archives, the largest and. In the last stanza, they, spoken by cecilia, merge with the lines in. It is a nice coincidence that britten was born on st. Benjamin britten, hymn to st cecilia, sacred and profane. Hymn to st cecilia hymn to st cecilia benjamin britten section 2 analysis completed in 1942 on brittens return to england unaccompanied ssatb choir poem written specifically for britten by w. Benjamin britten hymn to st cecilia choral version. Our editorial voice, always faithful to the teachings of the church, assists and inspires catholic clergy and laity. Ssatb with solos a cappella by britten, benjamin isbn. Auden was eventually asked and produced the poem in 1940.