Jennifer’s Recital: Song texts

Antonin Dvorak: “Dumky” Trio – Kelvin Mun, violin, and Jill Sauerteig, cello
Olivier Messiaen: Poemes pour Mi – Kelsey Vicary, soprano
Johannes Verhulst: Selections from Kinderliederen and Dertien Geestelijke Liederen – Nicole Tan, soprano
Charles-Marie Widor: Flute Suite – Madison Deppe, flute

<—- Watch it on the Livestream!! 8:00pmEST March 6 2013

 

L’épouse
Go where the Spirit leads you
Nothing can separate what God has joined together.
Go where the Spirit leads you
The wife is the extension of the husband
Go where the Spirit leads you
As the church is the extension of Christ

Ta voix
Window, filled with afternoon
Opens on the afternoon
And on your clear voice,
Bird of springtime that awakens.
If that window should open on eternity
I would see you as even more beautiful.
You are the handmaid of the Son
And the Father will love you for that.
His light will fall forever on your shoulders
His seal will mark your brow.
You will complete the band of heavenly angels.
To the glory of the Holy Trinity,
An eternity of happiness will raise up your clear voice.
Bird of springtime that awakens.
You will sing.

Les duex guerriers
We two are made one. Advance!
We are like warriors clad in iron.
Your eye and my eye, among statues that march forth
Amid howling and the collapse of smoldering structures.
We moan.
Hear me, I am your two children, my God!
Advance, sacred warriors!
Joyfully thrust your shields forwards.
At dawn, shoot arrows of devotion toward the sky:
You will reach the gates of the City.

Le collier
You are springtime bound in chains,
A misty morning rainbow,
Ah! My necklace!
You are a living support beneath my weary ears
Necklace of renewal,
Of smiles and of Grace.
Necklace of the Orient, necklace made of many colours
And of hard, festive pearls.
A curving landscape
Wedded to the cool morning air
Ah! My necklace!
Your two arms around my neck, this morning.

Prière exaucée
Shake the lonely, ancient mountain of sadness
And let the sun stir the bitter waters of my heart.
O Jesus, living Bread who gives life,
Say but a single word and my soul will be healed.
Shake the lonely, ancient mountain of sadness
And let the sun stir the bitter waters of my heart!
Give to me your Grace!
Ring out, my heart!
Let your sound be strong, and long, and deep!
Strike! Ring! Resound for your King!
Strike! Ring! Resound for your God!
Behold your day of glory
And of Resurrection!
Joy is returned.

~~

Opgepast
I wish I was a little bird,
To fly and to leap about
I wish I was a little bird,
Singing a merry song
And telling everyone that I am so happy today!
And would you like to know why?
Oh, just listen:
I have learned my lessons well
I have written my best piece
And Mother pulled me on her lap
And kissed both my cheeks red.

In ‘t Donker
You crawl vainly in shrub and hedge
Now that you did wrong.
You thought perhaps,
Since it is dark on the road,
That no one saw you in your flight.
Look once upwards, to the sky
The stars have seen it!
Now at night, early or late,
You hide beneath every shrub and every tree
In fear and timidity
Because wherever you sit
Or wherever you stand
The stars gaze at you
And call: “You have done wrong!”
And at night you still hear it in your dreams
But then your heart is too sad and tired
And then you feel remorse and grief
Because you did it
Then the stars smile at you and say:
“Only never do it again,
And we will again look friendly upon you!”
Sleep well now, and never forget it!

Nieuwe Klompjes
My uncle is a carpenter
There is no handsomer on the wharf
He makes for the home and the yard
Everything you can imagine
His hand is rough and his voice coarse
But I, regardless, am not afraid of him

He pinched my ear once
And said: Now if you diligently
Honour your Father and your Mother
Then you will receive something for Christmas!
My ear stung then,
But still I looked friendly at my uncle
And think what he brought?
A new pair of clogs, prim and neat
With the toes trimmed in silver
Lined with white sheepskin
And within lay a note
Which read: “for my dear nephew!”

And Mother told me, with a smile:
“Now see, my good fellow
How it goes with sweet children
I hope that you always stay so.”
And I gave my Mother-dear a kiss
And said that I would do my best!

Broodkruimels
What taps there against the windowglass
As if to ask: do open!
There was a little bird there
That I saw walking
Oh yes! There he sits, cold and stiff
How he tweets for some food
Oh! That I had now
Not eaten up my sandwich
Or that I had some of the crumbs left
That Mother wiped away

Then was the poor little animal done
And I stood not shy
Oh Mother! help me out of this distress
And I shall never forget
That no little crumb of bread
Should be thrown away

Looft den Heere!
All ye peoples, praise the Lord!
Earth, sing a merry song!
Cheer all now, give Him honour!
He forgets not His own!

In the singing of the spheres
In the frightened cry of the abyss
Rises the praise of the Lord
Who forgets not His own.

From Him flows all forces
To Him rises the song of the earth
Blissful those who wait for the Lord
He forgets not His own.

All ye peoples, praise the Lord!

Dies Irae
Oh day of wrath! Who shall find mercy
for the judgement of the Father’s Son?
Oh day of wrath! When trumpets sound
carried on the winds
The living and the dead with thunderous calling
are present before His throne.
Oh day of wrath! As the Earth, with fear despondent,
shall shiver by the Caller’s voice,
as the mountains fall and what is hidden beneath them
is shown to Him
the eternal King of Jerusalem
Oh day of wrath!

May it comfort our ears,
that He who sits at the right hand
says to us, come! Come!
You are chosen, who were loyal to death
Hail you, hail you, you lambs
Hail you, hail! See, your reward is great!

 

Special thanks to Martijn, Wilma, Meta, and Arjen
for their help in teaching us to read and pronounce Dutch

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