Located in the UK
Located in the USA
Located in Europe
- Nicola LeFanu
On The Wind (1997)
- Novello & Co Ltd (World)
Programme Note
This work was commissioned for the 34th Seminar on Contemporary Choral Music, University College, Cork, Ireland, May 1997. The seminar on Contemporary Choral Music is organised by the Cork International Choral Festival (grant-aided by the Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaion).
Nicola LeFanu
On The Wind
Why have you gone? gone, gone, gone
Howl, wolf howl
Why have you gone from us?
Why have you left us with no breast to turn to
Only stone on which to lay our heads?
Echo, hollow echo gone, stone,
wolf howl cry
wolf howl cruel cry
Who gave us notes to sing echo
we have one only
to rage at the dark. Bloodsong.
.Who will hear?
In death there is no kindness
In mourning there is no relief.
North and South are gone from us
There is no compass.
The path is shattered
Who will hear?
Time passes
Grief hardens.
The path is shattered
Where are the bread crumbs where are the crumbs
for the children to follow? for the child to follow?
our children's children
Follow, follow, follow
Hollow echo of centuries,
Echo of nothing.
What poison we brew
What curses we breed
For our children, our children's children
shattered path follow
follow, follow
Wild words to keen you
Who, who will hear?
Hollow echo
Who will hear,
Who?
Who gave us wild words
We have one only, only
weep, weep, weep, weep,
Time passes
Cry, cry, cry, cry, cry, cry,
cry, cry, cry, cry, cry.
Time passes
grief hardens.
Where the wing shelterwarm
Where the wing to shelter
Where the wind where the warm wing where the warm wind
Where the breeze where the clean breeze
Where the wing to shelter
Send us shelter where
Send us a clean breeze
where where where?
Who, who will hear?
Time passes; grief....
Who will hear?
Text © Anne Le Marquand Hartigan 1996.
Used by permission of the author.
Nicola LeFanu
On The Wind
Why have you gone? gone, gone, gone
Howl, wolf howl
Why have you gone from us?
Why have you left us with no breast to turn to
Only stone on which to lay our heads?
Echo, hollow echo gone, stone,
wolf howl cry
wolf howl cruel cry
Who gave us notes to sing echo
we have one only
to rage at the dark. Bloodsong.
.Who will hear?
In death there is no kindness
In mourning there is no relief.
North and South are gone from us
There is no compass.
The path is shattered
Who will hear?
Time passes
Grief hardens.
The path is shattered
Where are the bread crumbs where are the crumbs
for the children to follow? for the child to follow?
our children's children
Follow, follow, follow
Hollow echo of centuries,
Echo of nothing.
What poison we brew
What curses we breed
For our children, our children's children
shattered path follow
follow, follow
Wild words to keen you
Who, who will hear?
Hollow echo
Who will hear,
Who?
Who gave us wild words
We have one only, only
weep, weep, weep, weep,
Time passes
Cry, cry, cry, cry, cry, cry,
cry, cry, cry, cry, cry.
Time passes
grief hardens.
Where the wing shelterwarm
Where the wing to shelter
Where the wind where the warm wing where the warm wind
Where the breeze where the clean breeze
Where the wing to shelter
Send us shelter where
Send us a clean breeze
where where where?
Who, who will hear?
Time passes; grief....
Who will hear?
Text © Anne Le Marquand Hartigan 1996.
Used by permission of the author.