Product Description
As soon as I read Gillian Clarke's beautiful 'Carol of the Birds', I knew I wanted to set it to music. I am gripped by the contrast between the spare, harsh verses, and the gentle, unworldly calling of the owls in the refrain.
The "who? who?" of the owls holds a spiritual significance: who IS this newborn child, come to the ice bound land?
"The troubles of a restless world" resonate for us, today - and all the time, the life of the birds goes on, llw, llw, llw.
If your choir can sense and communicate this tension, bravo!
It's not complicated to sing; verses in unison, refrain in 2-part harmony.
"llw" is pronounced hloo, it's the sound of the owl; "gwdihw" is goodie-hoo (a welsh word for owl). "hibou" is ee-boo (a french word for owl). "Noctua" is nock-too-ah, it's Latin for nocturnal things.
Gillian Clarke, formerly National Poet of Wales, has kindly given permission for me to set her poem. Look out for more of her work, it's lovely.
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