Music>SATB Choral
Nox Aurumque
Nox Aurumque (Night and Gold) was written as a sort of ‘companion piece’ to my Lux Aurumque (Light and Gold). I used themes (textual and musical) taken from both Lux Aurumque, and my work for music theater, Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings.
By my count this is my seventh collaboration with poet Charles Anthony Silvestri (Sleep, Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine, etc.) and it was by far our most challenging. Here is a summation of our process together, recalled by the poet himself:
Notes on the Text
by Charles Anthony Silvestri
The task of the lyricist is to provide for the composer a text which, on the one hand, gives the composer the material he or she needs to complete the piece, according to unique specifications; while on the other hand, could stand alone as a poem in its own right. Writing the Latin text for Nox Aurumque was a singular challenge.
First, Eric had already composed much of the musical material; several distinct melodic motifs were already formed and essential to the structure of the piece. Any text I composed had to fit within the parameters of that structure. Eric was very specific about the number of syllables in this line, the necessary word-painting in that line, etc.
Second, Eric had strong ideas about the meaning of the text. He communicated impressionistic images of an angel, the emotions of that angel, and other evocative images, darker than usual for him. My text had to speak to those images in a meaningful way, consistent with Eric’s intentions for the piece. It has a distinctly different sound than earlier works, and I wanted my text to be darker, and as different.
Third (and most challenging), the text had to flow effectively in Latin. The Latin had to communicate accurately the images Eric wished to evoke about this angel, all within the already-established framework of the piece. Latin affected the English, and English affected Latin, in a tug of war between meaning and grammar. It had to be singable, and employ the kind of vowels and consonants Eric likes to set. (We joked that not every word could end in the lovely and mysterious –um sound Eric likes so much—Latin grammar just doesn’t work that way, although I became intimately familiar with the many uses of the genitive plural!) And the Latin had to be correct—it had to conform to the rules of Latin grammar—to satisfy my need as a scholar. I had to settle at times for some Latin that strayed from what Cicero might have written, but which stayed certainly within the somewhat looser realm of Medieval usage. From my perspective as a poet, the Latin language is living, vibrant and malleable; I’m certainly not the first poet to take liberties with canonical rules. No doubt there will be quibblers who will question the choices I have made. I humbly ask these critics to consider the nodus triplex with which I was presented, and see this poem for what it is—lyrics to a choral work, not a sequel to the Aeneid.
Nox Aurumque
Gold,
Tarnished and dark,
Singing of night,
Singing of death,
Singing itself to sleep.
And an angel dreams of sunrise,
And war.Tears of the ages.
O shield!
O gilded blade!
You are too heavy to carry,
Too heavy for flight.Gold,
Tarnished and weary,
Awaken!
Melt from weapon to wing!
Let us soar again,
High above this wall;
Angels reborn and rejoicing with wings made
Of dawn,
Of gold,
Of dream.Gold,
Singing of wings,
Singing of shadows.Charles Anthony Silvestri, 1965-present
27 Comments
Rachel Blair on April 13, 2010 at 4:14 pm
I am part of Byun's Chamber choir at RCC and let me say, This song is so much fun to sing! I love it, love the text and how it ties into paradise lost. Wonderful!
Megan Hoyt on February 16, 2011 at 12:52 pm
what institution or college is that? "RCC"
Mason Allred on September 16, 2011 at 5:40 pm
Riverside Community College. Byun is a wonderful director! That, and he has a great sense of humor :)
Jean-Michel DESAI on April 23, 2012 at 9:23 am
We enjoy et are very proud to create in France this wonderful piece,
during 2 concerts 4th et 6th of may around
grenoble in the Alpes.
We will sing also LUX…. with the A COEUR JOIE ensemble directed by Francine Bessac
with other pieces of M. Lauridsen, Colin Mawby, Martinon
Michael Caines on April 15, 2010 at 11:06 am
Love your little motivic nod to 'What If'!! :)
LaJun on May 4, 2010 at 2:46 am
I attended the performance Sunday, May 2, 2010, Murrieta, Cali, and this song was so well delivered. It was full of expression and truly, RCC Chamber Choir has reached their level of expertise. We love you!!!
Rachel on May 10, 2010 at 12:52 pm
omgosh… you sneeky sneeky genius! When we got this peice, I had already heard it. And I was so sad that the fun jump in the soprano part after the big climax– its like 4:43 on the video about– was gone from the music! But I just listened to our recording of it and it is an overtone! Like I said… Sneeky sneeky genius! I love it. =)
James Curtis on May 23, 2010 at 12:10 pm
A beautiful successor to Lux. Keep the music flowing for us please! :)
Charles Anthony Silv on April 11, 2011 at 12:34 pm
We're working on the third piece in the series, VOX AURUMQUE!
Connor on April 28, 2011 at 2:11 am
Oh! I can't wait for that then! :)
Elise Ontiveros on June 29, 2010 at 1:03 pm
I can never get enough of this peice. It is just so deep. I just wish my friends had the same aptitude for music like I do. If they would just take the time to listen, they would "see." and they would see how beautiful it is. I wish i could have heard this live. Im thankful that I came across it :)
James Conces on July 1, 2010 at 1:47 am
I really hope to see a Wind/Orchestral arrangement of Nox to accompany Lux!
mauro marchetti on July 26, 2010 at 4:43 am
we made Europe Premiere in Italy!!!!
David Guillot on September 12, 2010 at 3:48 pm
Eric, I just discovered your work yesterday. I've spent most of the past 8 hours exploring your domain of music, and I haven't even touched the tip of the iceberg yet. All of your pieces are beyond phenomenal, but "Nox Aurumque" especially just…moves me. So deeply. You are a master in your own domain, and the finest practitioner of choral dissonance I've ever encountered. I will love this piece without end, and I will continue to investigate the intricacies of your prolific career. With great anticipation I look forward to owning your "Light and Gold" album. My hat goes off to you, and it may stay off because I don't think I'll ever cease to be impressed by your genius.
Tiffany Sams on September 20, 2010 at 4:22 pm
Oh my gosh! I just read through the lyrics while listening to this and the combination actually made me cry it was so beautiful. I've performed several Whitacre pieces and this definitely has become one of my favorites. Brilliant job with those lyrics!
Jordyn Bush on October 2, 2010 at 11:54 am
The first time I experienced Nox Aurumque was this afternoon. I use the word "experienced" because any other would be inaccurate. I am literally moved to tears by each phrase. I hope to someday be presented with a chance to meet you at some point. This music challenged my heart.
TYLER KEENO on November 2, 2010 at 2:36 am
I LOVE YOU ERIC WHITACRE! YOU'RE A BEAUTIFUL HUMAN BEING! AND YOUR MUSIC IS GODLY! =]
<333 Peace and Love
-WSHS
Angelina Howells on February 4, 2011 at 3:43 pm
If I could have anything in the world, it would be to sing in a choir for you. Nothing I listen to compares to the works you have created. I would especially LOVE to sing this song. I could only hope for now!
Connor Chambers on February 20, 2011 at 2:11 am
I have begged my music teacher to let us sing this for months! It's soo good!! People call me weird for liking it so much because I'm only 12!!
Eric on February 20, 2011 at 5:42 am
Connor, you may be the coolest 12 year-old I know.
Connor Chambers on March 11, 2011 at 2:20 am
Thanks Eric :)
Curtis Azecurl on April 22, 2011 at 4:57 pm
Mr. Whitacre, and Mr. Silvestri, I recently won an essay contest about your music. I want to say that out of all your pieces, Nox really speaks to me. I don't know how you guys did it, but Mr. Whitacre's music and Mr. Silvestri's lyrics paint such a perfect picture of darkness. From the very first aurum at the beginning, you both have me hooked and I can already see an absolutely dark night in front of me, and I just want to go into that darkness of dissonance and get lost. I love what you guys do, keep it up. Mr. Whitacre, if you ever do make a wind ensemble arrangement, the symphonic band at San Ramon, CA would love to be one of the lucky ones to premiere it. Love you both, hope more like this come my way.
Eric on April 23, 2011 at 1:59 am
Thanks so much, Curtis, and CONGRATULATIONS!
Schnack Manduu on July 22, 2011 at 9:37 pm
I have heard the sweetest music during funerals. Melody is exquisite while sound is blocked out underwater. In the glorious strains of exuberant stillness before a storm there is an unrivaled beauty. To find music that is pure and true, you must find its corresponding silence. Eric, you will never quite be able to write music rivaling Silence in her supreme beauty, but I believe you’ve come as close as describing her as any, if not more. By all means, keep trying. I hope you prove me wrong.
Sarah on November 19, 2011 at 3:01 am
I love this. It’s so beautiful and luscious and full, but at the same time its so dark and sinister. I absolutely love it. We recently did this at my school and it was an amazing experience, along with The Seal Lullaby and Lux Aurumque. We love your music, Mr. Whitacre, and please keep it up!
Jon Shrum on November 21, 2011 at 9:11 am
Aside from the fact that this song (like all of your works) is incredibly mysterious, complex, and stunningly gorgeous my brother and I loved the beastly A-flat you give the tenors. Very rarely do we get to really belt high notes like that so thank you very much for that moment of tenor epicness =) God bless and never stop writing your music. You have no idea how much your music touches and moves so many people everyday.
Austin Deane on January 24, 2012 at 2:27 am
I absolutely love this piece! A while back, just before Christmas, two high schools, an east end high school, and my own, a west end high school, sang at a big thing called the Knights of Columbus Festival, which does on every year. We have a very nice rivalry going on between our 2 high schools, mainly because of our choir teachers. At this festival, our east side rivals sang Lux Aurumque. They didn’t sing it very well, and what we sang was Lully Lulla Lullay. We did it wonderfully. What we are singing next, in retaliation for them pulling out an amazing Eric Whitacre song done not so well, is Sleep. Once I found out about this song online, I thought “how wicked awesome, and suitable would it be to totally destroy them/wipe the floor with them by singing Lux Aurumque’s sister song, Nox Aurumque . . . ” I really loved this piece. It is both dark and harsh (in a good way), and beautiful, rich and warm, all in one. I myself am teaching myself composition, and so this piece is very inspiring for my next composition . . . . I will just have too decide, brass band or high school band, minor or major, flat or sharp, and movements or no movements . . .