Cameron Sinclair: De Angelis [download]

For solo soprano, solo alto, SSAATBB, solo violin, suspended handbells.

De Angelis is a re-composition of an antiphon by the 11th century Abbess Hildegard von Bingen. The text, like all her writings, is almost expressionistic in tone and the soaring vocal lines, which exhibit an extraordinarily wide tessitura, heighten the mystical imagery of her words. Dramatic intensity reaches its zenith during the setting of perdito angelo, qui volare voluit supra intus latens pinnaculum Dei,unde ipse tortuosus [the lost angel, who wished to fly above the hidden inner pinnacle of God, plunged into ruin]. Here, the full choir, which has hitherto been singing long pedal notes, takes over a fully harmonised version of the plainchant while the soprano soloist soars above the texture.

In this re-writing, handbells have been added to ring the harmonic changes and a solo violin acts as an autonomous voice, transforming the material of the vocal lines, heightening their passionate intensity.

The piece was commissioned for Singscape and the first performance was given at Douai Abbey, conducted by Sarah Tenant-Flowers.