Judith Bingham_The Drowned Lovers_EP71066_Score_Extracts by ScoresOnDemand

BINGHAM

The Drowned Lovers for Alto solo and SSAATTBB

EP 71066

Choral

Solo:

A reworking of The Blue Bird by C. V. Stanford, for Mezzo-soprano and Double Choir. Based entirely on the harmonies of Stanford.

Text by Mary E. Coleridge and Judith Bingham

In the deepest reaches of the lake, and my love do lie.

I clung to him and pulled him down

And so we both did die.

Th’uncaring clear blue waters

Over our heads did close,

And shoals of fishes, sightlessly,

In clouds around us rose.

His pale green eyes were cold in death,

His love had been a lie,

But now we share a watery grave, Forever intertwined.

Judith Bingham

Chorus:

Blue below

Cold and still

Beneath me

Cold and still

Blue in blue

His image

Cold and still

verse by the composer, stolen from ‘A Blue Bird’, by Mary E. Coleridge

The lake lay blue below the hill, O’er it, as I looked, there flew

Across the water cold and still,

A bird, whose wings were palest blue.

The sky above was blue at last,

The sky beneath me blue in blue,

A moment, ere the bird had passed,

It caught his image as he flew.

PERFORMANCE NOTE

This work, a song for alto or mezzo solo and unaccompanied double choir, is based entirely on the harmonies of Stanford’s partsong The Blue Bird, which should always follow without a break.

Judith Bingham

Duration (without Stanford): 4–5 minutes

First performance by The Joyful Company of Singers, conductor Peter Broadbent, at Hereford Cathedral, as part of the Three Choirs Festival, on the 24 August 2000.

Revised 2009. With special thanks to Adrian Peacock.

Soprano

Fluid and vague q. = 43

Judith

Soprano

Bingham (1998, rev. 2009) The Drowned Lovers for Alto solo and SSAATTBB Alto Solo

Alto Alto Tenor Tenor Bass Bass mp Blue, mf uh pp uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh mm pp mm mm mm mm mm mm mm mm pp no trill mm pp uh uh uh mm nn pp nn nn nn nn nn nn nn uh pp uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh mm pp uh blue mm uh nn pp nn nn nn nn nn nn nn nn nn nn Edition Peters 71066 © assigned 2007 to Peters Edition Ltd, London

4 A.Solo

S. A. A. T. T. B. B. blue blue mf in uh uh uh uh uh p uh uh uh nn pp nn nn mm mm mm mm uh nn nn nn nn nn nn p nn nn pp nn uh uh uh uh nn p nn pp nn nn blue uh p uh uh uh nn pp mm mm nn p nn nn nn nn pp nn p nn (no trill) blue, pp uh uh uh uh uh p uh sim. uh pp 2

mf With great longing and melancholy,the rhythms very fluid legato thedeep est - reach es - of the

A.Solo

A. A. T.

B. blue, In

2 2 nn nn nn nn sempre pp uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh nn sempre pp nn nn molto nn sempre pp nn nn nn nn uh uh uh uh nn no trill blue sempre pp nn nn sempre pp nn nn nn nn nn nn sempre pp nn nn nn nn oo sempre pp nn nn oo oo oo oo oo sempre pp nn nn 3

S. S.

T. B.

nn nn nn nn

nn nn nn nn nn nn nn uh

uh uh mm

2 nn uh mp lie nn p nn nn uh uh uh

oo oo oo oo nn p oo oo oo oo oo oo oo nn p nn nn 4

A.Solo S. S. A. A. T. T. B. B. lake, I andmylove do lie, pp uh pp uh uh pp uh pp

blue mp belowblue, mp pp

blue mp below,2

subito pp

weshare

awa - tery,wa tery -

subito pp

42 A.Solo

A. A. T. T.

lie,

mm nn uh ah

mm mm nn uh ah

mm mm mm mm mm uh ah

cold

mm uh ah subito

S. S. mm cold, mm mmmm mm uh ah

B. B. mm cold mm ah

alie, mm mm uhuh uhuh uhuh p cold divide mm uhuh uhuh uhuh p cold divide 13

but

mp now

dolcissimo

subito pp

46 A.Solo S. S. A. A. T. T. B. B. grave, for mf e - ver -in ter -twined,2 p For e fp For e f nnnn nnnn nnnn nn nn For f enn nn For e f - ver!mm mm mm mm mm mm mm uh uh For e fmm mm mm mm mm mm mm uh uh For e fand still, uh For e fand still, uh For e f -and still nn nn nnnn nnnn nnnn uhuh uhuh E f and still nn nn nnnn nnnn nnnnnn uhuh uhuh E f 14

50 A.Solo

Intensely For f e -ver!f Fore-ver!ver! For e f - ver! ver! For e f - ver! ver! For e f - - ver! Fore f - ver! ver! For e f - ver! ver! For e f - ver! ver! For e f - ver! 2 ver! For e f - ver! 2 ver! For e f - ver! 2 ver! For e f - ver!ver! 2 15

A. A. T. T. B. B.

A.Solo

mm mf

mf mm mf

mm mf

S. S. A. A. T. T. B. B. Blue! f molto less Blue! hold as long

possible blue, mf mm mf Blue mp in nn blue, mf mm mf Blue mp in nn Blue! mf mm mf Blue mp in nn Blue! mf mm mf Blue mp in blue nn Blue! mf mm mf Blue mp in blue in Blue! mf

mf blue mp blue in Blue! mf

mf Blue mp Blue! mf

Blue mp Blue!

Blue mp Blue! mf

Blue mp

The Stanford continues in tempo

The lake lay

nn The lake lay

in blue. the lake lay blue. the lake lay blue in blue. the lake lay in blue. the lake lay

58 A.Solo

S. S. A. A.

T. T.

Judith Bingham

Judith Bingham (b. 1952) studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where she was awarded the Principal’s prize in 1971. She was a member of the BBC Singers, and from 2004 to 2009 was their composer in association. Although her output boasts many choral works, she is seen as an all-rounder. Bingham’s catalogue includes pieces for brass band, symphonic wind ensemble and various chamber groups and solo instruments, concertos for trumpet and bassoon and tuba, several works for large orchestra and diverse anthems and church works for UK cathedrals. For her distinguished services, she was created a Fellow of the Royal School of Church Music in 2007, and an OBE in 2020.

Judith Bingham (*1952) studierte an der Royal Academy of Music in London und erhielt dort 1971 den Preis des Hochschulrektors. Sie war Mitglied der BBC Singers und von 2004 bis 2009 deren Composer in Association. Obwohl ihr Schaffen zahlreiche Chorwerke umfasst, ist sie als vielseitige Komponistin bekannt. Unter anderem entstanden Stücke für Blaskapelle, sinfonisches Bläserensemble sowie diverse Kammermusikbesetzungen und Soloinstrumente, daneben Konzerte für Trompete, Fagott und Tuba, mehrere Werke für großes Orchester sowie Gesänge und andere geistliche Werke für verschiedene Kathedralen in Großbritannien. 2007 wurde sie zum Fellow der Royal School of Church Music und 2020 zum Offcer of the Order of the British Empire ernannt.

EDITION PETERS GROUP LEIPZIG · LONDON · NEW YORK www.editionpet ers.com