Origin of Various Libera Songs

[TullyBascombe]

Out of curiosity, does anyone know how SoP has done comparatively in terms of ratings or viewer share before and after the changes in 2014?

[filiarheni]

About Nunc dimittis, composed by Geoffrey Burgon (1941 - 2010) for treble, trumpet, organ and strings, which first appeared on the "Angel Voices 2" album and was revisited and rerecorded for "if".

The song featured as music for the end credits in the 1979 TV series "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy". The soloist Paul Phoenix was a member of the St. Paul's Cathedral Choir and later became a tenor of The King's Singers.



It was composed in 1979 and re-arranged in 1997.

As the information about the series is only mentioned on the cover of Libera's new album, but was left out back then, it didn't seem exactly clear whether with Nunc dimittis an existing song had been transferred to the soundtrack or had rather been particularly composed for it. The information I initially found online mostly lapidarily say that it belongs to or comes from "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy". There was also a source putting it a bit more distinctly:

"Although the composer admits that the creative act can be a struggle, many of his works spring to life, Minerva-like, fully formed in Burgon’s imagination. His Nunc dimittis, for example, conceived for the BBC’s acclaimed dramatization of John le Carré’s novel Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, briefly entered the UK pop chart’s Top 10 in 1979. It has since established an enduring place in the church repertoire. Burgon observes: ‘Like many of my best pieces, it came to me very clearly and complete. And I always thought of it as being part of a tradition of sacred music, not a piece deliberately written in a “pop” style.’"
(https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/tw.a ... l=SIGCD269)

But since it frequently happens to such information to take on a life on its own so that at some point the knowledge about the true origin gets lost, I hesitated to rely 100 % on this. Meanwhile though, I have found a fine article written in 2015 about Geoffrey Burgon, which also reveals in a fabulous way details to the history of his Nunc dimittis. Here is the link: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obit ... 96669.html

At first I was asked to register (no paywall) to continue reading. It wasn't necessary then, but as a precaution I quote some extracts here which I find essential or interesting resp.:

"Geoffrey Burgon enjoyed the kind of popular success that most classical composers can only dream about. The Nunc dimittis from his music for the BBC thriller Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, which starred Alec Guinness as George Smiley, entered the charts in 1979, and only two years later the recording of his soundtrack for Brideshead Revisited for Granada "went gold", selling over 100,000 copies. [...]

The treble on the original recording, Paul Phoenix, was a tenor in the King's Singers later in his career.

The classical world sometimes looks down its nose at film-music composers, but all the while Burgon kept up a steady stream of concert music – his real passion – that earned the respect of his contemporaries. Indeed, given the demands made on his time by the studios, Burgon's music for concert-hall and church is astonishing in both its quantity and quality. [...]

Early success came in 1968 when his Five Sonnets of John Donne for soprano, mezzo soprano and ensemble, written the previous year, won the Prince Pierre of Monaco Award. He none the less supported himself and his young family as a freelance trumpeter until he reached 30, when he sold all but one of his trumpets and took the plunge as a full-time composer – and for the next 10 years was, he said, "incredibly poor". He had written his first ballet score, The Golden Fish, in 1964, and was soon in demand for more – The Calm in 1974 and Goldberg's Dream (Running Figures) in 1975 – as well as TV scores, writing the music for two Dr Who series in 1975 and 1976.

The seal on his reputation as a concert composer came with the excited reception given to his Requiem – one of a series of works inspired by his enthusiasm for the poetry of St John of the Cross – at the Three Choirs Festival in Hereford in 1976; it engendered a series of commissions which began to improve his circumstances. [...]

His bank balance changed beyond all recognition with the runaway success of Nunc dimittis in 1979. Paul Phoenix, the treble whose voice touched millions, recalled how he was an 11-year-old chorister at St Paul's Catheral when Barry Rose, the Master of the Choristers, asked him to sing for Burgon.

"The plan was this," Phoenix said. "I would sing for Geoffrey, with Barry at the piano, and then he would go away and write the theme tune for 'some BBC TV drama episodes'. The meeting was significant for several reasons: having sung for Geoffrey, he took over at the piano, and started to work on some ideas for the Nunc dimittis, with me singing, at this point without any text. He then asked Barry Rose to play the piano again, and whilst we played and sang together, played his trumpet. To be honest, I didn't think any more about it, until I was invited to the BBC to record the theme to Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. I was paid £20, incidentally!" [...]

Indeed, Burgon's affinity with the voice – solo and in chorus – means that the larger part of his substantial worklist is vocal: operas (including Hard Times of 1991, where the composer's own libretto used much of Dickens' original dialogue), choruses, cantatas and song-cycles, all elegant in their craftsmanship. Many of his pieces have entered the repertoire of Britain's cathedral choirs."

For more information see:

http://www.musicweb-international.com/c ... equiem.htm

and

http://www.musicweb-international.com/c ... Burgon.htm

[Surpinto]

This is so interesting; these stories behind the songs which are so rarely catalogued in any way! Thank you for this post; it was most enjoyable.

[Yorkie]

Out of curiosity, does anyone know how SoP has done comparatively in terms of ratings or viewer share before and after the changes in 2014?

In the late 90's it had a viewership of between 5 and 6 million viewers per week but it was on after the Sunday evening news which would be a prime slot. I haven't seen anything with viewing figures for the time they sold it out in 2014. In the article below it claims a recent increase in viewing figures but the problem with stats is that they aren't always obvious. If viewing figure start at 5 million and drop by 50% and then increase by 55% you end up with 3,875,000


https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/ ... ommunities

[Yorkie]

About Nunc dimittis, composed by Geoffrey Burgon (1941 - 2010) for treble, trumpet, organ and strings, which first appeared on the "Angel Voices 2" album and was revisited and rerecorded for "if".

The song featured as music for the end credits in the 1979 TV series "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy". The soloist Paul Phoenix was a member of the St. Paul's Cathedral Choir and later became a tenor of The King's Singers.

Thanks for this. When we got the listing for the new album I posted this on Twitter:



Paul Phoenix appears a lot on this album with his St Paul's Cathedral choir.

[john45]

Out of curiosity, does anyone know how SoP has done comparatively in terms of ratings or viewer share before and after the changes in 2014?

In the late 90's it had a viewership of between 5 and 6 million viewers per week but it was on after the Sunday evening news which would be a prime slot. I haven't seen anything with viewing figures for the time they sold it out in 2014.

The only numbers I found were 7 million in 1994 and 3.4 million in 2009. The Church Times article referenced by Andy indicates current audience of 1.2 million which is "an increase of 29%" which means that it went below one million at one time. No surprise really.

[filiarheni]

The song featured as music for the end credits in the 1979 TV series "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy". The soloist Paul Phoenix was a member of the St. Paul's Cathedral Choir and later became a tenor of The King's Singers.

Thanks for this. When we got the listing for the new album I posted this on Twitter:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3suBkZ1aIg

Paul Phoenix appears a lot on this album with his St Paul's Cathedral choir.

Right. I chose the film version for being the original, but have listened to the album as well.

The (sometimes "by-catch") discoveries made on such origins exploration tours can be amazing and that's why I love it!

[kinda_k00l]

Regarding Cum Dederit, I didn't know the piece beforehand, but when I listened to the extract on Libera's official website, I thought it sounded like an aria or something from the Baroque period, so I looked it up.

It belongs to a piece named Nisi Dominus, by the Baroque composer Antonio Vivaldi. Nisi Dominus (RV 608 - G minor) is the musical setting to Psalm 127 (126) for alto, viola d’amore, strings, and continuo (you can find the public domain sheet music on IMSLP). According to Hyperion Records, "Nisi Dominus, RV608, is Vivaldi’s most extended and artistically ambitious Psalm setting for solo voice to have survived."

It has 9 movements:

1. Nisi Dominus
2. Vanum est vobis ante lucem surgere
3. Surgitis sederitis postquam
4. Cum dederit dilectis suis
5. Sicut sagittae in manu potentis
6. Beatus vir qui implevit
7. Gloria Patri et Filio
8. Sicut erat in principio
9. Amen

So Cum Dederit is the 4th movement of Nisi Dominus, and coincidently (or not), Cum Dederit is the 4th 'song' of IF. It "conveys drowsiness by being set in a slow siciliana style and employing a distinctive motive with chromatically ascending lines that the composer often introduces in association with the idea of sleep." (Hyperion)

This is a performance that I like of the original (G minor):


That being said, I'm really looking forward to Libera's version (or more specifically Dominik, I'm pretty sure that's his voice) in Bb minor, it sounds lovely already in that small extract we're currently having.

[filiarheni]

Thank you, kindak00l, for presenting the backgrounds to Cum dederit! We seem to be getting well prepared for Libera's new album.

Very delicate interpretation btw. by Philippe Jaroussky!

So Cum Dederit is the 4th movement of Nisi Dominus, and coincidently (or not), Cum Dederit is the 4th 'song' of IF.

I probably wouldn't have realised that.

"conveys drowsiness by being set in a slow siciliana style and employing a distinctive motive with chromatically ascending lines that the composer often introduces in association with the idea of sleep." (Hyperion)

This composition sounds quite mysterious, I find, and leaves me with a feeling of tension and uncertainty.

That being said, I'm really looking forward to Libera's version (or more specifically Dominik, I'm pretty sure that's his voice) in Bb minor, it sounds lovely already in that small extract we're currently having.

Same here.

[Surpinto]

Regarding Cum Dederit, I didn't know the piece beforehand, but when I listened to the extract on Libera's official website, I thought it sounded like an aria or something from the Baroque period, so I looked it up.

It belongs to a piece named Nisi Dominus, by the Baroque composer Antonio Vivaldi. Nisi Dominus (RV 608 - G minor) is the musical setting to Psalm 127 (126) for alto, viola d’amore, strings, and continuo (you can find the public domain sheet music on IMSLP). According to Hyperion Records, "Nisi Dominus, RV608, is Vivaldi’s most extended and artistically ambitious Psalm setting for solo voice to have survived."

Thank you for this analysis and history which I assume most of us were unfamiliar with. I agree that it sounds like Dominik's voice and I am looking forward to hear it. It's a unique and unusual piece for Libera, outside the normal scope of their song picks which makes it all the more intriguing!

Thank you for this information and detailed analysis. I wouldn't have known these details otherwise! I agree with you that it sounds like Dominik on the solo so we will see if you are right. This is such a unusual song for them that I'm intrigued to hear the entire piece and what sort of harmonies they were able to work into it - whether instrumental or vocal.

[filiarheni]

I was wondering what of the new album we have already covered and also started to get confused about which of all Libera songs we've already worked on or not. And so I have made a table of content:

1. Adoro Te
2. All Things Bright and Beautiful
3. Attendite
4. Ave Maria (Schubert)
5. Ave Maria (Vavilov/Caccini)
6. Cum Dederit
7. Dies Irae
8. If
9. Luminosa
10. Lux Aeterna
11. Nunc Dimittis
12. Prayer
13. Sacris Solemnis
14. Salve Regina
15. Sempiterna
16. The Fountain
17. Three Ravens
18. Venite Adoremus
19. Vespera
20. Voca Me

[filiarheni]

Libera's Prayer is the English version of the "Abendsegen" ("evening blessing") duet sung by Hänsel and Gretel in the German opera of the same title. Adelheid Wette (1858 - 1916) wrote texts for a fairytale performance and then asked her brother Engelbert Humperdinck (1854 - 1921) to set them to music. Later he created this famous oper out of it, also including some traditional nursery rhymes, while the music of the opera overall is beautiful, but not the easiest. The libretto was written by Wette as well, the opera premiered in 1893 in Weimar.

Here's an enchanting, excellent rendition from 1981 with Brigitte Fassbaender and Edita Gruberova as the main characters. It provides English subtitles and is worth a watch indeed.



During the opera, there are several references to the prayer. The opera begins with the song's full instrumental version in the ouverture. A first sung insinuation appears at 10:24, when Hänsel and Gretel bemoan their hunger, with words Gretel quotes from her father:

»Wenn die Not aufs Höchste steigt,
Gott der Herr die Hand euch reicht!«

("When the need rises to the highest,
God the Lord extends the hand to you.")

At 52:10 the "Abendsegen" starts, followed by the addressed guardian angels approaching. I recommend the complete watch up to 1:02:08, from the intro of the duet, until the angels have finished their gathering around the siblings. It's a most impressive part in the opera! (You shouldn't miss either to have a look at the children (in the final part they play the ensorcelled children being woken up by Hänsel and Gretel) who are watching from the audience, it's adorable.)

All of this shows how central the Abendsegen music is. It is associated with the faith in being protected by heavenly powers and in deliverance (btw, the mentioned waking up at 1:39:45 is so stirring).


Original words
Abends, will ich schlafen gehn,
vierzehn Engel um mich stehn:
zwei zu meinen Häupten,
zwei zu meinen Füßen,
zwei zu meiner Rechten,
zwei zu meiner Linken,
zweie, die mich decken,
zweie, die mich wecken,
zweie, die mich weisen
zu Himmels Paradeisen!

Literal translation
In the evening, when I want to go to sleep
fourteen angels stand around me:
two at my head
two at my feet
two on my right
two on my left
two that cover me
two that wake me up
two to guide me
to Heaven's paradises!

I discovered diverse variants of English lyrics. Here is the Libera version, but I couldn't find out its author. And while the German words simply us the modular construction principle without much more "decoration", the English lyrics are warmer and certainly more touching.

When at night I go to sleep
Fourteen Angels watch do keep
Two my head are guarding
Two my feet are guiding
Two are on my right hand
Two are on my left hand
Two who warmly hold me
Two with love enfold me
Two who show me when I rise
The way to heaven's paradise


What I do enjoy in the opera vs. the fairy-tale is that it renounces the cruel behaviour to send the children away with the purpose of gettig rid of them in favour of making the children simply lose the way while they are searching for berries in the forest.

For further reading about the composer, the story line, and interesting background information, please go to https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hansel ... umperdinck (with one mistake though: Humperdinck was born in Siegburg in the Rhineland)
and
https://www.bach-cantatas.com/Lib/Humpe ... elbert.htm

On a personal note, I still feel grateful that Libera sang this song in Vallendar in 2016, where I saw them live for the first time. Prior to the concert, I had been hoping for it, as I already knew that they like to make guest gifts when traveling abroad, and when this hope came true, I was overwhelmed! They even sang one verse in German, which had me feel deeply humbled.

Please have now the reward for having read all of that :



(Apologies for the rough starts of the video marks; recently that seems to happen and I have no idea why.)