Contemporary Choral
ROXANNA PANUFNIK
Hymn to St Alfege Double choir and organ
FRANKFURT/M • LEIPZIG • LONDON • NEW YORK www.editionpeters.com
EP 72231
When I was approached by Greenwich’s Church of St Alfege, to compose an anthem to mark their patron saint’s millenneum (since his death in 1012), it was to Frances Shaw’s wonderful translation of Osbern’s Life of Alfege that I turned. The last paragraph sounded like an emotional and plaintive prayer to Alfege, referring to his terrible demise having been kidnapped by marauding Danes who then pelted him to death with animal bones – because Alfege would not give them Canterbury’s riches to secure his release. I would have loved to use all of Frances’s beautiful translation but it would have been too long for this purpose – so my classicist husband Stephen Macklow-Smith, translated these last few lines of the original text again and wrote a simpler but deeply plaintive poem inspired by it – making the words sound more like the kind of vernacular an ordinary person might use, when asking Alfege for his help, at straightened times. It seems there was once a Hymn to St Alfege but no record of the music or the words still exist. I have tried to add authenticity to my Hymn by using a fragment of plainsong (Kyrie Orbis Creator, Use of Salisbury), which would have been sung in Southern England around the time of Alfege’s death. I have set the first phrase of the original Latin text “Magni Regis, Magne miles;” to the plainsong, as an ostinato that runs throughout the piece. My thanks go to Stephen Dagg, Director of Music at St Alfege Church, the Church itself for commissioning this piece and to Frances Shaw for her inspiration and guidance with the text and its context. Roxanna Panufnik, 11th January 2012 HYMN TO ST ALFEGE Magni Regis, magne miles Elphege; Great Alfege, soldier of a great King; Alphege, great soldier Who served a great King! Your cloak was washed in the blood of Almighty God, Hear now the prayers of your family who cry out to you. You defended us with your life, now intercede for us in death. You vanquished the Prince of Darkness, fortified by your faith, Now stand with us against him, and help us to victory. You took pity on those who stoned you, So take pity on those who seek your help, So that victory comes to those who love you, rather than those who raged against you. Defend those who serve you from the gates of death and hell, Transport us to the gates of Paradise and the embrace of Christ, Who lives and reigns with the eternal Father and the Co-Eternal Spirit, The one, the only, the true God through the infinite ages of ages. Translation © Stephen Macklow-Smith
Hymn to St Alfege was commissioned by Christopher Moody (Vicar) and Stephen Dagg (Director of Music) on behalf of the Royal Church of St Alfege, Greenwich with funds made available by the Parochial Church Council and a generous donation from Mr and Mrs Andrew Murray Lewis. Hymn to St Alfege was composed for the occasion of the millennium of the martyrdom of Alfege, celebrated on Thursday April 19th, 2012 Duration c. 5 minutes
Hymn to St Alfege Roxanna Panufnik
Osbern, translated & adapted by Stephen Macklow-Smith q = 54 mp
Soprano 1
(Hum)
mp
Alto 1
(Hum)
(Hum)
Tenor 1
mp
Bass 1
(Hum) mp
Alto 2
(Hum) mp
Tenor 2
Bass 2
(Hum) mp
p
(Hum)
Organ
optional
(Hum) mp
Soprano 2
Edition Peters No. 72231 © Copyright 2011 by Hinrichsen Edition, Peters Edition Ltd, London
Despondent & dirge-like q = 60
mp legato
2
5
mp
Al
-
fege,
-
mp
mp
mf
3
3
mf
ni
Re
- gis
great King!
Alphege - mighty soldier serving a mighty King! p
Mag -
Who served a great King!
mp
Mag -
great sol -dier
great King!
great sol -dier
fege,
mf
3
3
Who served a great King!
mp
Al
mf
mp
mag -
phe
ne
mi - les El -
-
ge,
8
in the blood of Al
migh - ty
God,
God,
-
ni
Re
-
gis
Al - migh - ty,
mag
-
ne
mi - les El -
phe
-
ge,
3 3
Your cloak was washed
in the blood of Al
mf
migh - ty
God,
Al - migh - ty,
3 3
Your cloak was washed
3
mf
Al - migh - ty,
mp
Mag-
4
11
mp
Hear our prayers,
of the fa - mi - ly
who cry
mf
mp
mf
hear now our prayers
of the fa - mi - ly
who cry
-
mag -
ne
mi - les
El -
Re - gis
-
out
ni
phe
out
ge,
5
poco accel.
14
3
mf
to you.
fa - mi - ly who cry out
mf
mp
Re - gis
phe
-
ge,
f 3
to you.
f
3
fa - mi - ly who cry out
mf
mi-les El -
fa - mi - ly who cry out
3
prayers of your
Mag - ni
mag - nes
prayers of your
mf
f
f
to you.
Re - gis
mf
to you.
fa - mi - ly who cry out
3
to you.
f
3
to you.
who cry out
mf
Mag - ni
f
3
to you.
f 3
fa - mi - ly who cry out
to you.
f
mag - ne
mi-les El -
phe
f
-
ge,
6
18
Becoming more hopeful q = 66
sub.p
Mag - ni
Re - gis
mag - ne
mi - les El -
phe -
ge,
p
Mag - ni
Re - gis
mp
You de - fen - ded us
q = 66
sub.p
with your life,
for us
in
now in -ter cede
7
22
Mag - ni
Re
-
gis
mag - ne
mi - les El -
phe
-
ge,
Mag - ni
Re - gis
p
Mag - ni
Re - gis
mp
You van- quished the Prince
of Dark - ness,
forti-fied
by your faith,
death.
8
p mp
26
Mag - ni
Re - gis
p
Mag - ni
Re - gis
mag - ne
mag - ne
Now stand with us
Now stand with us
Now stand with us
a - gainst him,
ge,
mp
Re - gis
Mag - ni
Re - gis
Mag - ni mp
and
ge,
and
a - gainst him,
and
a - gainst him,
phe -
mp
mp
mi - les El -
phe -
mp
mi - les El -
mf
help us
to
vic - to ry,
mf
help us
to
help us
to
vic - to ry, mf
vic - to ry,
mf
9
30
You took pi -ty on those who stoned
mf
you,
vic -to - ry.
vic -to - ry.
Re
-
mp
Mag - ni
mf
mp
Mag - ni
You took pi -ty on those who stoned
vic -to - ry.
vic - to - ry.
mf
mf
vic -to - ry.
vic - to ry.
mf
Re
mp
-
you,
gis
Mag - ne
gis
Mag - ne
mi - les El -
mi - les El -
10
mf
34
Mag ni Re mp
Mag ni
-
gis
Mag ne
Re - gis
Mag ne
So that vic - to - ry
mi - les El - phe -
mi - les El - phe -
ge,
ge,
So take pi - ty on those who seek your help,
-
-
ge,
ge,
- phe
mf
mp
- phe
So take pi - ty on those who seek your help,
Mag - ni
mf
Re - gis
mp
11
38
comes to those
who love
you,
love you.
Mag - ni
So that vic - to - ry
comes to those
Re - gis
3
who love
ra - ther than
3
ra - ther than
mag - ne
mi - les El -
phe
-
ge,
Mag - ni
mf
Re - gis
12
mf
41
those
those
3
raged
f
a - gainst
f
f
a - gainst
3
who raged
those
those
those
you.
f
mi - les El -
3
3
who raged
-
who raged
you.
you.
-
mf
mf
De - fend
f
phe
De - fend
f
Re - gis
mp
mf
Re - gis
Mag - ni
mp
Mag - ni
Re - gis
mp
Mag - ni
ge,
mp
Mag - ni
you.
a - gainst
mi - les El -
f
mag - ne
mf
De - fend
f
ge,
a - gainst 3
f
a - gainst
who raged
phe
you.
a - gainst
De - fend
who raged
mf
you.
3
mag - ne
Re - gis
13
45
those
who serve you
from the
who serve you
gates
from the
mi - les El -
mi - les El -
mag - ne mi - les El mag - ne
and
phe
phe
of death
hell,
hell,
hell,
hell,
-
-
-
phe
-
and
mi - les El -
and
of death
gates
phe
of death
gates
mag - ne
and
3
mag - ne
of death
3
who serve you
those
from the
gates
3
who serve you
those
from the
those
3
ge,
El - phe
ge,
El - phe
ge,
El - phe
-
-
-
ge,
14
3
3
48
Mood lifting...
Tran- sport
Tran - sport
of
Pa -
3
to the gates
of
ra - dise
Pa -
ra - dise
mp
tran - sport
mp
mag - ni
- ge
- ge
Re - gis
mf
Tran- sport
Tran - sport
mag -
ne
mi - les El -
3
3
to the gates
of
Pa -
3
of
phe
-
ge,
(mf)
Pa -
ra...
tran - sport
Re - gis
mag -
ne
mi - les El -
phe
-
us,
mp
us,
ra - dise
3
to the gates
tran - sport
mag - ni
us
us
mf
- ge
us
to the gates
us
3
us,
ge,
15
51
Lovingly... mf
and the em - brace
3
of Christ
who lives
Mag - ni
Re - gis
mag
-
ne
mi - les El -
3
mf
Lovingly...
the
and
em - brace
of
phe
-
ge,
Christ,
3
who lives
Mag - ni
Re - gis
mag
-
ne
mi - les El -
phe
-
ge,
16
poco accel.
54
Fa -
and reigns
mf
Mag
-
ni
Re
and reigns
-
gis
lives
f
lives
reigns with the e - ter
ni
Re
Mag
-
-
gis
mf
ther
- nal
Fa - ther and the Co - E - ter - nal
f
- nal
Fa -
ther
- nal
Fa -
ther and the Co - E - ter - nal
f
f
mi - les El - phe -
ge,
f
mag - ne
Fa - ther and the Co - E - ter - nal
mi - les El - phe -
and reigns with the e - ter
mf
nal
and reigns with the e - ter
-
ther
f
mag - ne
3
Fa -
mf
reigns with the e - ter
3
f
with the e - ter - nal
and reigns mf
f
ge,
f
17
Excitedly
58
q = 84
Spi - rit,
through the in - fi -nite
Spi - rit,
through the in - fi -nite
the one, the on - ly, the true
God
the one, the on - ly, the true
the one, the on - ly, the true
through the in - fi -nite
the one, the on - ly, the true
Spi - rit,
Spi - rit,
through the in - fi -nite
through the in - fi -nite
the one, the on - ly,
Spi - rit,
the one, the on - ly,
Spi - rit,
the one, the on - ly,
the one, the on - ly,
Spi - rit,
Really happy! rall.
God
God
God
through the in - fi -nite
through the in - fi -nite
through the in - fi -nite
18
Maestoso
q = 52 ff
a - ges
of a
a - ges
-
of a...
ff
Re -
ff
ges.
Mag - ni
of a...
a - ges
of a
of a
-
a-ges of a -
ff
ff
of a...
Re -
gis
A
ff
-
-
-
Re -
-
men.
-
men.
gis,
A
-
-
gis,
men.
men.
A
A
men.
A
men.
gis,
men.
A
ges.
Mag - ni
A
ff a - ges
ges.
Mag - ni
a - ges
Re -
ff
-
q = 66
A
ff a - ges
ges.
Mag - ni
a-ges of a
63
-
men.
f
19 f 68
Al
-
phege
phe
-
ge.
mf
-
phege
f
El
-
phe
-
ge.
mf
Al
-
phege
-
Al
Al
f
El
f
-
mf
phege
20
70
rall.
mp
A
Mag - ni
Re - gis,
mp
A
A
mp
mp
-
-
-
Re - gis,
-
-
mp
-
-
mp
A
-
Mag - ni
-
A
-
mp
A
-
mp
A
mp
-
A
-
-
-
-
men.
men.
men.
men.
men.
men.
men.
men.