Song's Eternity (2002)

Song’s Eternity (2002)
An anthem for choir (SATB) and organ

Song’s Eternity was commissioned by the Musicians’ Benevolent Fund in the name of Sir Thomas Armstrong and first performed in Westminster Cathedral on the 20th November 2002 by the combined choirs of Westminster Cathedral, Westminster Abbey and St Paul’s Cathedral, conducted by Martin Baker. The work is seven minutes in duration.

Song’s Eternity sets a searching poem by John Clare, which meditates on the eternal mystery of music and its place in nature. Thus the music builds in a slow arc from the Clare’s opening questions through to an exultant final affirmation, scored for full choir and organ. Along the way, an episode scored for high solo voices with arabesque organ figuration, paints a vivid picture of Clare’s natural world, teeming with the sound of every “bird and bee”.

Julian Philips, 2023