New Dublin Voices - "War - A Soldier's Grave" by Ēriks Ešenvalds

Leading chamber choir New Dublin Voices, conducted by Bernie Sherlock, is honoured to present the world premiere of "War - A Soldier's Grave" by Ēriks Ešenvalds, and was shared in a concert entitled "In Time of War" in Dublin in November 2019. Supported by the Arts Council, the Defence Forces, and Dublin City Council, In Time of War saw the words of Irish poets brought to new life in brilliant, specially commissioned works by an international Who’s-Who of acclaimed composers. This piece uses two poems by Francis Ledwidge - War and A Soldier's Grave.
War
Darkness and I are one, and wind
And nagging thunder, brothers all.
My mother was a storm. I call
And shorten your way with speed to me.
I am the love and Hate and the terrible mind
Of vicious gods, but more am I,
I am the pride in the lover's eye,
I am the epic of the sea.
A Soldier's Grave
Then in the lull of midnight, gentle arms
Lifted him slowly down the slopes of death
Lest he should hear again the mad alarms
Of battle, dying moans, and painful breath.
And where the earth was soft for flowers we made
A grave for him that he might better rest.
So, Spring shall come and leave it seet arrayed,
And there the lark shall turn her dewy nest