Cantata Sunday: The Wound in the Water

• Posted on April 28, 2017
• by Nancy
• in Latest News, Spire link, Worship
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May 21, 2017, 10:00 AM Worship

Spirit, the cry has erupted and now falls away
into the silence of the seeking deaths
In the warm, bright waters.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, say we knew you.
Lord, that you knew us.

—Euan Tait

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal,
flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city.
On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month;
and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.

—Revelation 20: 1-2

The Wound in the Water [2015],

Music by Kim André Arnesen (b. 1980), Poetry by Euan Tait
Scored for Chorus, Soprano Soloist, String Orchestra and Piano

 Mammon, noun: material wealth or possessions especially as having a debasing influence, as in “you cannot serve God and mammon” — Matthew 6:24

The Wound in the Water develops the theme of Mammon, the traditional symbol of the love of greed and money. This new cantata explores this complex theme by singing of our exile and the wounding of our world, of the beauty of the earth, and of the struggle of profoundly divided humanity towards a shared song. Mammon is a force that divides us, spiritually from a loving God, internally from ourselves and from our capacity to love, and communally from one another. Our relationships with ourselves, others, and a vividly living planet, slowly erode and collapse – and we come to live as homeless exiles in this threefold sense. The Wound in the Water recognizes a long journey towards healing and offers a fragile and tender attempt at shared song and reconciliation.

You have probably not heard of composer Kim André Arnesen. He is a young Norwegian musician, and finds himself heir to a long line of prolific and important composers including Arvo Pärt, Morten Lauridsen, and Ola Gjeilo. He was educated at the Music Conservatory in Trondheim. As a composer he had his first performance in 1999 with the Nidaros Cathedral Boys’ Choir. Since then he has written music that has been performed by choirs all over the world. His music is anything but dissonant and oblique; it is lush, romantic, tonal and musically accessible.

Arnesen has chosen a text by Euan Tait, of Welsh-Scottish heritage, born in Berlin in the late 1960s to a Scottish soldier and a Nairobi-born book editor and teacher. An experienced trainer, retreat leader and librettist, Tait leads Quiet Days and Praying with Music retreats for parishes and other groups in the United Kingdom. He is currently a Lecturer in English and Creative Writing in Swindon. Tait says, “I believe passionately in getting to know the other; tolerance is not enough; an active respect means we engage and learn.”

Please join us on Sunday, May 21, 10:00 AM for this very special musical and spiritual offering. The choir is working tirelessly to bring this enduringly beautiful and prayerful piece to life. We will be joined by Jeffrey Mead at the piano and a nine-piece string orchestra of truly inspired and talented players. As always, the texts will be available for prayer and reflection. If you are interested in joining the choir for Cantata Sunday, please contact Jane Ring Frank, Minister of Music.