CWU Chamber Choir: Gjeilo - “Unicornis Captivatur”

“Unicornis Captivatur” (Ola Gjeilo) is sung by The Central Washington University Chamber Choir (Gary Weidenaar, director),
TEXT:
Unicornis captivatur,
Aule regum presentatur
Venatorum laqueo,
Palo serpens est levatus,
Medicatur sauciatus
Veneno vipereo.
Alleluia canite,
Agno morienti,
Alleluia pangite,
Alleluia promite
Leoni vincenti.
Pellicano vulnerato
Vita redit pro peccato
Nece stratis misera,
Phos fenicis est exusta,
Concremanturque vetusta
Macrocosmi scelera.
Alleluia canite...
Idrus intrat crocodillum,
Extis privat, necat illum,
Vivus inde rediens;
Tris diebus dormitavit
Leo, quem resuscitavit
Basileus rugiens.
Alleluia canite...
TRANSLATION:
The Unicorn is captured,
It´s presented to the royal court
In the hunters´ snare;
Creeping, it freed itself from the pole;
Because it´s wounded, it heals itself
With the viper´s venom.
Sing Alleluia
To the dying lamb;
Sing Alleluia,
Cry Alleluia
To the victorious Lion.
Life returns to the wounded Pelican
After miserable death
In its nest for the sins of the world.
The Phoenix´ light is burnt out,
The ancient sins of the world
Are utterly consumed by flame.
Sing Alleluia...
The Hydra enters the crocodile,
Deprives it of its entrails, kills it,
And comes back alive.
Three days long
the Lion slept till the King
Awakened it with a roar.
Sing Alleluia..
ABOUT THE WORK:
Unicornis Captivatur was written in 2001. The text is part of a compilation of medieval chants called the Engelberg Codex, written around 1400 and belonging to the Engelberg monastery in Switzerland. The text’s colorful and powerful medieval symbolism was what drew the composer to it; a setting of mythical and allegorical references to the resurrection of Christ, which also can be interpreted as a metaphor for spiritual growth and deepening through adversity. The unicorn, the viper or snake, the lamb, the lion, the pelican, a hydra, phoenix, and the crocodile are all included in the text.
ABOUT THE COMPOSER:
Ola Gjeilo was born in Norway in 1978 and moved to the United States in 2001 to begin his composition studies at the Juilliard School in New York City, where he currently resides and works as a full-time composer.
Ola’s recordings include the Decca Classics albums Ola Gjeilo and Winter Songs, featuring Tenebrae, Voces8 and the Choir of Royal Holloway. His choral works and piano pieces are published by Walton Music, wind band works by Boosey & Hawkes.
For more information, please visit olagjeilo.com or find Ola on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
ABOUT THE CHOIR:
Since 2009, the CWU Chamber Choir has held annual recording sessions to create videos specifically designed for KZbin. All are under the baton of Dr. Gary A. Weidenaar, who has been the director of the choir since 2006.
As of 2017, there are more than 30 videos. Twelve of those feature the music of Ola Gjeilo and are the result of working with Mr. Gjeilo in 4 recording sessions over a 7 year period. The choir has videos of Gjeilo’s Sanctus, Across the Vast Eternal Sky, Contrition, Luminous Night of the Soul, Dark Night of the Soul, the Ground, Ubi Caritas I and II, and Northern Lights - as well as his arrangement of Away in a Manger and, of course, Unicornis Captivatur.
This was Ola's fourth time on CWU's campus. His first visit was in the spring of 2011 and yielded 5 videos of his music, a wide-ranging interview with the composer and other bonus material. It also resulted in a DVD entitled "In the Moment", available for purchase at goo.gl/Xld0o.
The CWU Chamber Choir also has recorded videos of music by Byrd, Gretchaninoff, Monteverdi, Muehleisen, Singh, Victoria, and Rautavaara.
To follow the choir on Facebook (page includes selected audio clips and URL's to all videos): / cwu.chamber.choir
OR - -
A complete listing of the videos of the CWU Chamber Choir and other CWU Music Ensembles can be found at:
/ cwumusicdept
ABOUT THE VIDEO:
It was filmed on April 7, 2017 in the CWU Concert Hall with the composer in attendance. Camera/editing/producing were: Chris Smart, Allen Larsen, Rick Spencer
All CWU Chamber Choir videos found on KZbin are posted only after an agreement is reached or a contract is signed with the composer and/or copyright holder(s) of the piece(s). This is with permission of Mr. Gjeilo and Walton Music.

[@verixanc]

Beautiful. It sounds so profound and spiritual.

[@alanburnham9832]

Another great performance of a wonderful piece!

[@16TheBang]

Stellar....As can be expected.

[@wolframhuttermann7519]

Edvard Greig, Norwegian as well, would be proud of Ola Gjeilo and his music if he lived.

[@pierrecharmetant9799]

Bravo! sans partitions on constate la différence avec chœurs qui chantent avec partition

[@Luca-gj9xn]

You are very good and Gjeilo is a real genius! My choir sang "Days of Beauty" and "The Rose" using a new arrangement and adapting the songs for male and female choir, making spectacular videos with stunning scenery and views. Write this in the search: I hope you like it! Corale Novarmonia - Days of Beauty (O. Gjeilo) SATB Choir Corale Novarmonia - The Rose (O. Gjeilo)