Faith: Chorus from Euripides' Hippolytos - Corelis, Jon

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"A sung chorus from my play ''EURIPIDES’ HIPPOLYTOS: a modern performance version in verse with music.'' In this play the choral odes are set to music adapted from the medieval secular repertory; here, the melody is from the song ''A chantar m'er de so qu'eu no volria'' by La Comtessa de Dia. My translation of the lyrics from the Greek is necessarily rather free, but is close enough to be recognizable as a translation. This score is for unaccompanied a cappella female voice: the number of singers, division of parts, and possible accompaniment are left to be decided by performers at production. In this sound file, synth female la-la voice is used to simulate the vocal. The sound file on this Choralwiki site gives only the first two choruses; for a complete sound file, please see the External Links sections below. The entire play is also available at the link given in that section.. The lyrics are below."

◈ Genre → Partsongs

♯ Key A minor

⁄ Time Signature 3/4

♬ Voicing → Unison

◆ Difficulty

Beginner

↕ Range G4 – G5

¶ Language → English

Measures 150

Texture Monophonic

Parts 1

Instruments A cappella

Pages 3

CPDL # 24445

Editor Jon Corelis

Posted 2011-09-11

License Personal

♫Pitch Ranges

MusicXML Part

G4 – G5

¶Lyrics / Text

Without my faith in heaven I could not live, without believing there are gods who care, who from their far untroubled home still give some meaning to this pain that everywhere rules over this uncaring chaos, life; through all its random wounds the gods must weave some pattern we may see if we believe. I will not beg the gods for wealth or fame, but for a heart unstained by bitterness; to live unthreatened by the praise or blame which both lead mighty houses to distress, to bring to each day’s dawning such a mind as will enable me to live that day, and let tomorrow bring what grief it may. Yet how may I keep faith now I have seen the noblest house of Hellas brought so low? O mountain meadow cloaked in leafy green, O Virgin Lady of the Silver Bow and coastal course-way where you are enshrined, your most devoted lover will no more rejoice in beauties of your woods and shore. No more his chariot wheels will trace the ground along the endless ocean’s fringe of sand; no more, no more the songful lyre will sound within his father’s hall by his skilled hand, and girls with secret dreams to be the wife who teaches such a man what love can be, are weeping for a dream they’ll never see. O ruined prince, O vanished purity: how can the gods allow such things to be?