"When I am dead" [Edward Lambert]

"When I am dead" [Edward Lambert]

First line of lyrics: When I am dead, my dearest

Part of: "Rossetti Requiem"

Lambert, Edward; music (English, born 1951)

Rossetti, Christina Georgina; text (English, 1830-1894)

2010 [composition] [copyright]; 2019 [revised composition]

Edward Lambert

genre: oratorio|requiem|choral music

solo: mezzo-soprano

instrumentation: orchestra

initial sharps/flats: no sharps or flats

initial time signature: 4/8

origin: United Kingdom

male composer

English

Rossetti poem(s): "Song" ("When I am dead, my dearest")

Place in the larger work: The first movement of nine in the oratorio called "Rossetti Requiem" which includes: 1. Mezzo-soprano solo: "When I am dead"; 2. Chorus: "Vanity of vanities"; 3. Tenor solo: "A voice said"; 4. Chorus: "When my love"; 5. Soprano solo: "Remember me"; 6. Chorus: "Frost-locked all the winter"; 7. Bass solo: "Come to me"; 8. Chorus: "Somewhere or other"; 9. Quartet and Chorus: "Does the road wind uphill?"

Composition history: The composer makes the following comments about his composition: "Mankind’s spiritual journey through life and our attitude to death provide the themes of Christina Rossetti’s best work: the relationships between living and loving on the one hand, and grieving and memory on the other. The first poem in this cycle confronts the physical reality of death and tauntingly asks how far memory will reach beyond the grave. After musing on the transience of worldly things (no.2), the poet embarks on a spiritual quest (no.3). Love and youth are recalled (no.4) before a reflection that the ultimate act of love is to relinquish it (no.5). Even spring-life is destined to die (no.6), yet grief is hard to bear and memories are real (no.7). All we can do is search (no.8) and our journey will be its own reward (no.9)" ("Rossetti Requiem").

Tempo markings: eighth note = 84 (original complete score); eighth note = 108 (2019 revised complete score)

Performance instructions: It states on the 2019 revised complete score that "Rossetti Requiem is a setting of texts by Christina Rossetti for soloists [soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, bass], choir [soprano, alto, tenor, bass] and orchestra [2 flutes doubling piccolo; 2 bassoons (2nd doubling contrabassoon), 2 horns in F, percussion (3 deep concert toms, bass drum, vibraphone, tambourine, cymbal), violins 1, violins 2, violas, cellos, double bass)]." The original score did not list bass drum and states "2 bassoons (one doubling contrabassoon)." Lambert also states "The movements should, as far as possible, be performed without a break; where a pause is essential it should come after the 6th movement" (original complete score) and "The movements should, as far as possible, be performed without a break" (2019 revised complete score).

Performance history: First performed November 2010 by Jacqueline Pischorn (soprano), Grace Wain (mezzo-soprano), Paul Robinson (tenor), Ian Caddy (bass), and Newbury Chamber Choir & Orchestra, conducted by the composer ("Rossetti Requiem").

Recordings: "Rossetti Requiem." SoundCloud, uploaded by MusicJug, 2013, https://soundcloud.com/musicjug/sets/rossetti-requiem. Accessed 3 Dec. 2019.

Dedication: "for the Newbury chamber choir (2010)"

Notes: On the composer's website, an electronic simulation of the music and a vocal score with keyboard accompaniment, "an approximate reduction of the orchestra score intended for rehearsal only", are available ("Rossetti Requiem").

Format 1: musical score

23 pages (pp. 5-26); complete requiem performance time 55 minutes (original complete score). 24 pages (pp. 5-28); complete requiem performance time 45 minutes (2019 revised complete score)

Reference: IMSLP Petrucci Music Library, http://imslp.org/

Other data reference(s): "Rossetti Requiem." Edward Lambert, http://www.edwardlambert.co.uk/rossetti-requiem.html. Accessed 14 March 2019.

Cataloguer: Robyn Finlay and Roxanne Lafleur, University of Ottawa

Music scores for original and 2019 revision: "Rossetti Requiem (Lambert, Edward)." IMSLP Petrucci Music Library, https://imslp.org/wiki/Rossetti_Requiem_(Lambert%2C_Edward). Accessed 12 Feb. 2019.

Record: CRM-songwheniamdead-lambert

File(s): CRM-songwheniamdead-lambert-2010.pdf; CRM-songwheniamdead-lambert-2019.pdf

"© 2010 The composer's rights are asserted," Rossetti Requiem (Lambert, Edward), https://imslp.org/wiki/Rossetti_Requiem_(Lambert%2C_Edward) by Edward Lambert, http://www.edwardlambert.co.uk, is licenced under IMSLP:Performance Restricted Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0, https://imslp.org/wiki/IMSLP:Performance_Restricted_Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike_3.0 (like the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/) except no performance rights are granted to the user)

The Christina Rossetti in Music project website is hosted in Canada at the University of Ottawa Library, and we aim to comply with Canadian copyright laws. If you believe we have violated Canadian copyright law, please contact us at christinarossettimusic@uottawa.ca. The Christina Rossetti in Music project is strictly not for profit and intended for research and educational purposes only.