Remembrance/Armistice/Veteran's Day Songs

[Ken Burch]

Last edited Wed Nov 11, 2015, 09:30 PM - Edit history (2)

[Manifestor_of_Light]

1. They sing this one in England on Remembrance Day. (Veteran's Day in England)

Lux Aeterna, choral setting of the Nimrod variation from the orchestral piece "Enigma Variations" by Sir Edward Elgar.

text:

Lux æterna

Lux æterna luceat eis, Domine,
cum sanctis tuis in æternum,
quia pius es.
Requiem æternam dona eis, Domine;
et lux perpetua luceat eis ;
cum Sanctis tuis in æternum,
quia pius es.


May everlasting light shine upon them, O Lord,
with your Saints forever,
for you are kind.
Grant them eternal rest, O Lord,
and may everlasting light shine upon them.
with your Saints forever,
for you are merciful.


Sir Edward Elgar, and amongst his greatest compositions lie the Enigma Variations "the supreme example of how to elaborate in so many different ways upon a simple theme". Indeed, he dedicated the work "to my friends pictured within", each variation being an affectionate portrayal of one of his circle of close acquaintances.

The Ninth Variation, Nimrod, is here arranged for voices - not the first to do so. It is dedicated to Augustus J. Jaeger, Elgar's best friend. It is said that this variation, as well as an attempt to capture what Elgar saw as Jaeger's noble character, depicts a night-time walk the two of them had, during which they discussed the slow movements of Ludwig van Beethoven (the first eight bars represent the beginning of Beethoven's Pathetique Sonata). The name of the variation punningly refers to an Old Testament patriarch described as a mighty hunter, the name Jaeger being German for hunter. The text is the communion antiphon from the Mass for the Dead.

This is a lovely piece and I think this is the best rendition. This entire CD is fabulous whether or not you're religious. Agnus Dei-Music of Inner Harmony, Choir of New College, Oxford, on the Erato label.

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A personal note: I had this recording of this Lux Aeterna played at my father's funeral in a little bitty Methodist church. I was proud of myself for sneaking some Latin classical music into a very non-Catholic church!

My father was a veteran of World War II, in the Army Air Corps before it was the Air Force. He was a Norden Bombsight Mechanic on B-17s and could not go into combat due to being qualified to work on what was one of the big technical accomplishments of the war, other than radar and the atomic bomb.

I went to see the Tallis Scholars, about a year later. They are probably the best a capella choral group in the world. I told one of the lady members afterwards about them playing a recording of this choral version of the Nimrod variation at my dad's funeral. And she said, "You did right by him". I was in tears hearing that from somebody in the best choral group in the world, who was no doubt quite familiar with the piece.

[JenniferJuniper]

2. Another Phil Ochs song

Never released by him, but here's Billy Bragg and Sid Griffin singing "Sailors and Soldiers"