Song of Amergin (2006)

10 minutes
for SATB Chamber Choir

Commissioned by Carl Crossin and the Adelaide Chamber Singers.
First performance by the Adelaide Chamber Singers at St. Peter's Cathedral, Adelaide 2006.

Access 5-page score preview here.
The Song of Amergin 
I am the wind which breathes upon the sea
I am the wave of the ocean
I am the murmur of the billows
I am the ox of the seven combats
I am the vulture upon the rocks
I am the beam of the sun I am the fairest of plants
I am a wild boar in valour
I am a salmon in the water
I am a lake in the plain
I am a word of science
I am the point of the lance in battle
I am the God who creates in the head the fire
Who is it who throws light into the meeting on the mountain?
Who announces the ages of the moon (if not I?)
Who teaches the place where couches the sun (if not I?)
In Irish mythology, Amergin was the leader of the ‘Men of Mil’, the first humans to step foot on Ireland in about 1530 B.C. ‘Song of Amergin’, also known as ‘Amergin’s Challenge’ and ‘Mystery of Amergin’, is believed to be the words spoken by Amergin as he set foot on Irish soil for the first time.  The poem exists in many different versions, and the correct ‘original’ is presumed lost forever due to the age of the text, questions over its authorship and the mystical grey area between Celtic folklore and Irish history. Many different versions of the poem have survived to the present day, all containing the repeated prefix ‘I am’, and expressing the Celtic affinity with nature and the divine connection between man and the world around him.

In setting this beautiful, exquisite text, my aim has been two-fold.  Firstly, I have tried to bring out the vibrancy, energy and spirit of the natural world that is described.  Secondly, I wanted to express the spiritual aspect of the poem, by reinforcing the question ‘Who is it?’, allowing us to ponder just who is responsible for creating the beauty and wonder we see in the world around us.

Anne Cawrse, 2006