Located in the UK
Located in the USA
Located in Europe
- John McCabe
From 'Cartography' (2002)
- Novello & Co Ltd (World)
Commissioned by the BBC for first performance by the King's Singers in the 2002 BBC Proms, forming part of "The Oriana Collection" to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II
Written to form part of 'The Oriana Collection' to mark the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II
Programme Note
Composed for the collection THE ORIANA COLLECTION, commissioned by the BBC and the King's singers to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, this setting takes three sections from a longer poem, specially written by Jo Shapcott, entitled CARTOGRAPHY. It traces a kind of journey across Hadrian's Wall from east to west, and down Offa's Dyke from north to south, an outline retained in this setting. The work reflects on themes of landscape, the life within and upon the landscape, and memory.
From CATOGRAPHY
'Cras amet qui nunquam amavit;
Quique amavit, cras amet'
I
Arbeia
Here the earth tells its story
to the sea, the sky,
and the estuary in between
leaks history.
We're listening so hard
but the wind hereabouts
whips up its own
noisy version of the truth.
III
Carlisle
Towers, walls, the castle,
even the earth we measure
with our steps on this walk -
are tough as you like.
In this light, the red stone
is more tender than stubborn:
the castle keep gifted
with the surface of the peach.
VI
Sedbury Cliffs
How many strange secrets
have we told the insects
on the muddy cliff top?
Armies of wood lice and spiders
skitter across fossils
of bivalves and ammonites.
There are other risks: gaze
down the estuary towards the sea.
© Copyright 2002 Jo Shapcott
From CATOGRAPHY
'Cras amet qui nunquam amavit;
Quique amavit, cras amet'
I
Arbeia
Here the earth tells its story
to the sea, the sky,
and the estuary in between
leaks history.
We're listening so hard
but the wind hereabouts
whips up its own
noisy version of the truth.
III
Carlisle
Towers, walls, the castle,
even the earth we measure
with our steps on this walk -
are tough as you like.
In this light, the red stone
is more tender than stubborn:
the castle keep gifted
with the surface of the peach.
VI
Sedbury Cliffs
How many strange secrets
have we told the insects
on the muddy cliff top?
Armies of wood lice and spiders
skitter across fossils
of bivalves and ammonites.
There are other risks: gaze
down the estuary towards the sea.
© Copyright 2002 Jo Shapcott