Antiphonary - Liz Lane

Lane, Liz

Abstract

'Antiphonary' is inspired by Berkeley Castle in Gloucestershire, the oldest building in the country still lived in by the same family who built it over 900 years ago; the title refers to the Berkeley family antiphonary, a large and beautifully illuminated book of liturgical texts and chants dating back to around 1457. The music traces an historical timeline of the castle’s history and also incorporates excerpts from Vivaldi arias (thought to be the only known copies) from his opera 'La Costanza Degli-amori e de gl’odii' (The triumphant constancy of love and hate), found in the castle muniments in 2002.

As a modern visitor, I was interested in the historical timeline which traces the castle’s history from its Norman origins to present day existence as a family home, tourist attraction and wedding venue. Musical influences in the music include 18th or 19th century harness bells, displayed in the 14th century Buttery (used on horse drawn vehicles so that visitors could be heard in darkness or fog), a painting in the Picture Gallery ‘Old Berkeley Hounds find in Bricket Wood’, circa 1820 and the magnificent Great Hall, with its beautiful tapestries, stained glass windows and minstrel’s gallery. At the heart of the castle is the Morning Room, formerly the Chapel of St Mary, where a glass cabinet displays the Berkeley family antiphonary.

Excerpts from the Vivaldi arias are incorporated throughout the work in the flugel horn. The jaunty melody of Dentro al sen del sol ch’adoro (Deep within the sun that I adore) evolves from the texture after an introductory slow section where other extracts are quoted or alluded to: Lascia almen che ti consegni (At least let you surrender), Parto con questa speme (I leave with this hope) and Per Scorgere (To forsee truth).

'Antiphonary' was written to help promote awareness of the castle through the Friends of Berkeley Castle, a group dedicated to supporting the castle's Charitable Trust by means of the preservation, conservation and restoration for the public benefit of Berkeley Castle, its contents and its gardens. I am grateful to Mr David Smith, Berkeley Castle Archivist, for his research support, and to Mr John Berkeley for his permission to use quotations from the Vivaldi manuscripts.

The first performance in the brass band version took place by Lydbrook Band, conductor Ian Holmes, La Seu Cathedral, Barcelona, 29 October 2013 as part of their 90th anniversary tour.

• Other Type: Composition
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 7, 2019
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/928537