Tenebræ factæ sunt (from "Quatre motets pour un temps de pénitence") - Francis Poulenc

Quire of Cheahs presents Poulenc's haunting and moving setting of the matins responsory for Holy Saturday "Tenebræ factæ sunt". The motet is dedicated to the great compositional pedagogue Nadia Boulanger who conducted the first performance of Poulenc's Organ Concerto in December 1938. Although the piece is ordered third in the set of four "motets for penitential time", it was the earliest to be written with Poulenc completing it in July 1938 at Noizay.
--
Tenebrae factae sunt dum crucifixissent Jesum Judaei,
et circa horam nonam exclamavit Jesus voce magna:
Deus meus, ut quid me dereliquisti?
Et inclinato capite emisit spiritum.
Exclamans Jesus voce magna ait:
Pater, in manus tuas commendo spiritum meum.
There was darkness while Jesus was being crucified by the Jews,
and about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice,
"My God, why have you forsaken me?"
And bowing his head he gave out his spirit.
Exclaiming in a loud voice, Jesus said,
"Father, into your hands I commend my spirit."

[@HakanAToker]

Beautiful! Perfectly in tune and in synch!

[@TamsinJones]

Wonderful, Phillip! The singing is amazing and the video evokes the penitential atmosphere perfectly.

[@VandewegheProduction]

Wow... Very Cool. Well done!

[@QuireofCheahs]

Thank you very much! Glad you liked it.