Lacrimas | Julian David Bryson | MusicSpoke

Lacrimas Julian David Bryson Text from Psalm 126:5 and Confessions by St. Austine of Hippo SATB Choir and Solo Mezzo-Soprano, a cappella

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Text and Translation Et dimisi lacrimas, quas continebam, ut effluerent quantum vellent. substernens eas cordi meo et requievit eis.

—St. Augusting of Hippo

And sending out tears, where I was holding them in, so that they should flow so smoothly, they spread out beneath my heart, and it rests on them.

Translation by Dr. Christopher Craig

Qui seminant in lacrimas They that sow in tears in exultation metent. will reap in joy.

—Psalm 126:5

Program Notes Lacrimas weaves a familiar Psalm text into a poignant moment from St. Augustine's Confessions. Musically, the piece develops in waves that emanate from the opening “sobbing” gesture. The soloist takes the last four notes of the choral melody as seed and begins to sow them in reverse order. Similar trading of material continues through the opening section, before tears finally break free into a murmuring brook. Over this stream, the soloist “flows smoothly” through the sowing theme, now in major. The ensemble ascends to new heights just before the basses follow fragments of the sobbing theme into the depths.

Other voices follow in imitation, providing tearful support on which the heart attempts to rest.

A restatement of the sobbing theme leads to a joyful climax as singers reap the fruit of their sorrow. Rest finally arrives in the final, optimistic, upward resolution.

Premiered by the University of Alabama in Huntsville Chamber Chorale, Conducted by Erin Colwitz for the Huntsville New Music Festival, February 11, 2011

Cover image created by Janeke88, https://pixabay.com/en/users/Janeke88-975535/

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Lacrimas Psalm 126:5 and St. Augustine of Hippo Translated by Dr. Christopher Craig

  

Julian David Bryson

e = 80 mf (and sending out tears,)

Soprano

Et di - mi - si,

et di - mi - si,

Et di - mi- si la- cri - mas

la- cri - mas,

la- cri

Et di - mi - si,

et di - mi - si,

Et di - mi- si la- cri - mas

la- cri - mas,

la- cri

- mas

la- cri - mas,

la- cri

Et di - mi- si la- cri - mas

la- cri - mas,

la- cri

                                     mf

Alto

                        Et di-mi- si, et di - mi - si, Et di - mi- si la- cri mf                       mf

Tenor

Bass

Piano (for rehearsal use only)

 Solo  



Et di - mi - si,

 

mf

 

6

S.

                                   

e = 80

et di - mi - si,



     



Qui

se - mi - nant in

  



  



   mas,

B.





 

     

         





                      



la - cri - mas,



                

      

mf

 

    





Qui

3                         



Et di - mi - si, p

Et di - mi - si la - cri - mas, et di - mi - si la - cri - mas

Et di - mi - si,

Et di - mi - si la - cri - mas, et di - mi - si la - cri - mas

                        



                





mas,

3

p

3

Et di - mi - si la - cri - mas, et di - mi - si la - cri - mas

         

3

  

 

p





This score is not licensed

la - cri - mas in



mas,

T.



(they that sow in tears) mp 3

mas,

A.

              



            

                         

         3            

Copyright © 2004 Julian David Bryson All Rights Reserved. Licensed through MusicSpoke.com.

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PleaseDirector visit MusicSpoke.com performance copies.

All Rights Reserved. Use without a license is stealing and is ILLEGAL.



 



             Solo   4

 

S.

T.

B.

se - mi - nant in

la - cri - mas, in





 

 





 



 

mf



 



  

q = 55

la - cri - mas.



 

A.

 

3

10

3

Qui mf

se - mi - nant in 3

Qui mf

 



mf

3

         

          









 



 





 





          



3

3

     

q = 55



      



S.

se - mi - nant in 3

    

A.

se - mi - nant

3

 

 

Et

di

-

B.



la- cri - mas, la -

mi - si

la - cri- mas

3

la - cri - mas,la 3

                      se-mi-nant in la-cri-mas Qui se-mi-nant in la- cri - mas, la      3

se - mi - nant 3





Et

di

-

mi - si rit.

la - cri- mas

3

3

3 3

3

3

 

                       3













-

       

cri - mas.

-

Quas con - ti - ne - bam.

 p 3          

cri - mas.



la - cri - mas,la 3



(where I was holding them in) q = 45 3 p



Quas con - ti - ne - bam.

 p 3       



cri - mas.

3    3          

                    3



3  3             

3

T.

3

la- cri - mas Qui se - mi - nant in



3

                    3

la - cri - mas Qui

se - mi - nant in

rit.

13

la - cri - mas Qui

se - mi - nant in

Qui 3

la - cri - mas Qui

se - mi - nant in

Qui



la - cri - mas Qui

         

 





         

 





-

Quas con - ti - ne - bam.

p 3           

cri - mas.

                        

Quas con - ti - ne - bam. q = 45

   

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3

         

33

3

         

(so that they should flow so smoothly) mp

 Solo  17

3 3          

  







  



Quas con - ti - ne - bam. pp With fluidity; soften the consonants.



A.

3



Quas pp

T.

B.





















Quas

con





-

ti

 



19

vel

-

  

 





-





      

 





  

lent,

ut

   

  



 

 

3





3

 ti

-

ne

-

     3  Quas con - ti - ne

T.

B.



3





 



bam.



3



Quas

con

-

 ti

   

-



3

  Quas





- bam. Quas con - ti - ne - bam.



ne - bam.

       



 





con - ti

   

 -





ne (mp)

vel

 

 



bam.



Quas

3

   

 

-

lent, 3



con

  

Quas con - ti -

3



-

ti

-

3



   



ne

-



Quas con - ti - ne - bam. Quas con - ti - ne - bam. (mp)

 



ne - bam.

3



-

   



   

3

3

3

ne - bam. Quas con - ti - ne - bam. Quas con - ti - ne - bam. Quas con - ti - ne - bam. (mp)

A.



con - ti

 

3

3



-





Quas

 

   

con

3



3



Quas

Quas con - ti - ne - bam.

ne - bam.



  

   

ef - flu - e - rent quar - tum (mp)

3



(p)



lent,

Quas con - ti -



bam.





con - ti

3

3





-

3

Quas

 



ne

Quas con - ti - ne - bam.

3

 

-

   

- bam.



con - ti - ne - bam.

   

 



   

3

pp With fluidity; soften the consonants.

     



-

3

3

          3  Quas con - ti - ne - bam. Quas con - ti - ne Quas

3

Quas con - ti - ne - bam.

3

 

 

3

quan-tum vel

Quas con - ti - ne - bam.

con - ti - ne - bam.

With fluidity; soften the consonants.

 



ef - flu - e - rent

3



  Solo  S.

ut

pp With fluidity; soften the consonants. 3

 

S.

5

3



Quas

   

3



  



con - ti







-





ne - bam.



3





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 

Quas

  

 

 Solo   6

21



 

S.

ef - flu - e - rent

3



3             

   



ut

(f)

3

   

3



  

3

3

quar - tum (mf)

vel



   



-

lent

3

ut

3

ef - flu - e - rent 3



  

ne - bam. Quas con - ti - ne - bam. Quas con - ti - ne - bam. Quas con - ti - ne - bam. Quas con - ti (mf)



A.

3





bam.



Quas

con

3

T.

B.





      Quas con - ti - ne  



con - ti

 ti

-



 



  



-

3

   

 



con

-

 ti

-





 

ne





-

bam.

          

3

   

ne - bam. (f)

   

 - bam.

-

bam.



  

     (f)

  



   

ti



-

ne



-



bam.

Quas

3



   

ne - bam.





 q = 72 





 





con - ti





3



-



ne - bam.





3





(they spread out beneath my heart)



 





Quas 3

3



 

















 





mf

 

sub -

 

(f)





con - ti - ne 3

-

(f)

3

3

 

Quas

-



-

3



     (ff)

con



3

Quas con - ti - ne - bam. Quas con - ti - ne - bam. (mf)

bam.

           Quas con - ti - ne - bam. Quas con - ti - ne

T.

B.

-



3

ti



ne - bam. Quas con - ti - ne A.



 

3

3





   





quar - tum vel - lent, quas con



Quas (mf)



con - ti

3

        Solo   

bam.



Quas

23

S.

-

3



- bam. Quas con - ti - ne - bam.



3

ne



   

ne - bam.

      



3





-

-

3







mf

              sub- ster - nens

q = 72



 







e - as cor - di me - o

 

 





   

This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.





  

 



 Solo  27

   

 

T.



    



cor

di

  





-

di

me

 

-

o, cor

-

di

                 

              Solo  3

re - qui - e - vit, et re - qui - e - vit e



A.

T.

B.









 



  



 



                      3

3

-

   

o





o

cor

    

               

-

       



di

me

  me

-

        

 

 

is.

cor - di

cor - di

cor - di

me - o

me









me - o

me

 

 

me - o

me

 

 

me - o

me

       

   



 -

-

-

o







o





-

-

 me

 

-

 me

o





me

o

 

 me



 -



   



-

-

o

o,

   

 



  

  

 

me - o





(my heart)

-

sub - ster - nens e - as cor - di

me - o, cor - di

(freely) (and it rests on them)

S.

-

Et





me

e - as cor - di me - o

me

32

3

cor - di





     

      

  

cor

-

e - as

sub - ster - nens





  

 



                       

ster - nens e - as cor - di me - o p

p



 



sub ster - nens mp

     

A.



mf





S.

B.



mf 7

       

 



cor - di





o

me - o













o

o

 o

  

 

This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.



me - o

me - o





me - o

       

8 Solo

  39



 

S.

cor

 

A.

cor

 

T.

B.







Solo



cor

-

-

-

    

  

-







       



di

Qui sempre pp

se - mi - nant in

Qui sempre pp

se - mi - nant in

la

       



di

la

       



di

Qui se - mi - nant in sempre pp (in falsetto)





di



Qui q = 60



 



    

   

 

la

se - mi - nant in

   

la

 

 

B.

 

 

-

-

-

cri



cri



cri



cri

-

-

-

-

 

Qui

mas



se - mi - nant in

 

 

 

 

mas

mas



 mas

e = 80     





Qui

                 Et di - mi - si,

Et di - mi - si,



 3

                       



                 3

3



se - mi - nant in

la - cri - mas, in la - cri - mas.











la - cri - mas in



                 

q = 60 (will reap in joy)



3

Et di - mi - si la - cri - mas, et di - mi - si la- cri - mas

               

accel.



                        3  3             3







mp

     in ex - ul mp

     in ex - ul mp

    

Et di - mi - si la - cri - mas, et di - mi - si la- cri - mas

                   



            

accel.

mp

Et di - mi - si la - cri - mas, et di - mi - si la- cri - mas

T.

-



 

 

3                    

A.

e = 80 (They that sow in tears) 3 p



sempre pp

la - cri - mas,

S.







 cor

45

q = 60



in ex - ul mp

      in ex - ul -

     

This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.

             q = 60

S.

50                          

ta

-

   

A.

ta

T.

B.





ta

-

    



ti

-

o - ne,

in

ex - ul

-

ta

-

ti

-

o

-

ne,

in

ex - ul -

ti

-

o - ne,

in

ex - ul

-

ta

-

ti

-

o

-

ne,

in

ex - ul -

in

ex - ul

-

ta

-

ti

-

o

-

ne,

in

ex - ul -

in

ex - ul -





    

-

  

    

                     

-

     ta

9

ti

-

o - ne,

         

              ti

-



 



  

o - ne,

   









in

ex - ul







 



-

ta

 

   

-



ti



-

o

-

 



      

    



ne,

            



    





   



 

(And it rests on them)

  Solo   54



  

S.

ta

  

A.

ta

T.

B.





    ta  

 ta

        

 -

ti

 -

o

 -

   -

-

ti

 ti

-

-

ti

  

o

-

-



 

ne

me -

   

ne

me -

   o

-

o



 

ne

me -

 





 -

 



-

  

ne

  

me -



    

  tent,

3              Et re - qui - e - vit e pp     

tent,





 tent,





 tent,

 

rit.





 

e = 72

mp

 e = 72

rit.

 

3       





e

-

 

e

-

 

e

-

  

           

This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.

 

-

pp

pp

is.

e

  

pp

-

 

is.

  is.

is.

is.

     

 

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If you enjoyed Lacrimas, please also consider the following works from my catalog, available at or coming soon to MusicSpoke.com:

Commissioned to celebrate the ordination of a deacon, All Things New (SATB Choir and String Quartet or Piano) speaks to the human desire to improve ourselves and our world. Built upon a handful of symbolic musical motives, this piece yearns, grows, and eventually comes to rest transformed and inspired.

Fire and Ice (SSATB, a cappella) along with Quibbles and Quirks for wind quintet and Conflictions for brass quintet, began as exercises in counterpoint. Though I didn’t conceive of them as a set, upon further reflection, I see them as having remarkable similarities. All are for five voices, involve imitation, and represent conversations. Fire and Ice, in particular, takes the well-known poem and weaves it into a dialogue—at times an argument—inviting both choir and audience to take sides. Because the text is so familiar, I didn’t concern myself with clarity in its setting, instead focusing on the similar vowel sounds central to key words. This leaves the conclusion up to the audience’s decision, even as late as the final chord, where both fire and ice sound simultaneously.

Thomas Moore’s Minstrel Boy (SATB or TTBB with piano) describes an iconic “warrior bard,” committed to defending not only land, but ideals. For him, freedom of thought, speech, and art was more important than his life, and this strong and creative soul preferred death to oppression. While this tune has long been associated with memorials for first responders, I also see it as a call to arms for artists.

Join us on the battlefield of ideas with harp and song and voices.

O nata lux (SATB, a cappella): On September 12, 2001, members of the University of Tennessee Concert Choir walked into our choir room in a state of shock.

Reeling from the previous day’s attacks, none of us really wanted to rehearse, but somehow we knew it was exactly where we needed to be. After warm-ups, we sang Morten Lauridsen’s setting of O nata lux, which we had just begun to learn. Suddenly, the music took on a new meaning and ushered in a memorable hour of sharing, crying, and healing. Something about the line, “for the sake of the lost ones” stuck with me, and over the next several days, I developed my own musical response to both the tragedy and text that had invaded all of our lives. I am humbled by so many beautiful settings of this prayer and in some ways feel ill-equipped to offer yet one more. However, I continue to count it among my favorite compositions.

This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.

Winner of the 2013 American Choral Directors Association Brock Memorial Student Composition Competition, Redemption Mass (SATB chorus, wind quintet, piano, and percussion) is a tuneful, rhythmic, and inspiring setting of traditional and non-traditional texts. The simple, yet haunting Kyrie evokes ancient chants, while the rhythmically driving Gloria uses overlapping ostinato paints a picture of the Heavenly throne room described in Isaiah 6 and Revelation 4. Credo is an exuberant statement of faith filled with text painting, while the most accessible movement, Sanctus, is an uplifting song of praise again referencing the scene in Isaiah 6. Finally, Agnus Dei recalls themes from previous movements of the Mass against a stunning wall of sound, erupting into a passionate plea for peace.

This accessible setting of We Are the Music Makers (SATB and piano) brings O'Shaughnessy's famous text to life through lush harmonies, word painting, and exciting fanfares. Dedicated to the Randolph High School Class of 2011, it was premiered by their Concert Choir during their Commencement ceremonies.

This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.