This week we take a look at a work from a composer who's life was tragically cut short during World War I, Ernest Bristow Farrar. Just two days after going to the western front of the war, Farrar's short life ended at the age of 33. His extensive compositional output in the years preceding the war have, unfortunately, fallen into obscurity. Today we look at a work for solo voice, chorus, and orchestra, a setting of Dante Gabriel Rossetti's The Blessed Damozel.

Rossetti's poem has served as the inspiration for many musicians, from Claude Debussy to the electronic music group Tangerine Dream. The poem was completed initially, with Rossetti using the title and poem as the inspiration for a number of his poems. The text begins:

Dante_Gabriel_Rossetti_The_Blessed_DamozelThe blessed damozel leaned out
From the gold bar of Heaven;
Her eyes were deeper than the depth
Of waters stilled at even;
She had three lilies in her hand,
And the stars in her hair were seven.

Her robe, ungirt from clasp to hem,
No wrought flowers did adorn,
But a white rose of Mary's gift,
For service meetly worn;
Her hair that lay along her back
Was yellow like ripe corn.

Herseemed she scarce had been a day
One of God's choristers;
The wonder was not yet quite gone
From that still look of hers;
Albeit, to them she left, her day
Had counted as ten years.

Farrar's work begins with an etherial sound outlining a G chord, with the first two measures avoiding establishing the key we're in, before the short addition of Eb gives us an idea of the key, as the horn introduces a quiet opening theme, which is shortly echoed. The orchestra continues to modulate through a variety of nebulous tonal areas, with variations on the initial horn theme before a firm footing is finally established after 48 measures.

A new espressivo theme is introduced as the orchestra quickly builds from the opening pianissimo to a solid forte, quickly fading again to pianissimo to make way for the sopranos to enter at rehearsal 4 with the first two lines of text. The other vocals enter in fugal lines for the next two lines of text, again with a dramatic move to forte, before fading to pianissimo.

Farrar masterfully weaves orchestral interludes between each stanza of the poem, revisiting the themes of the orchestral introduction in abbreviated forms. The third stanza is introduced with the etherial sounds of the opening, before the chorus sings acapella. Farrah continues with the extended text of the poem, with sections of the chorus solo and in pairs. The accompaniment builds in movement, before finally settling to a quiet state that sets the stage for the entry of a solo voice, representing The Blessed Damozel.

The orchestra returns to the first fully established theme for an interlude, before the sopranos re-enter along with the soloist, followed by the full chorus. Farrar slowly brings us to a quiet close, with a dramatic pause as the poem describes her tears, ending in the same etherial state we opened.

Unfortunately, we've not found a single recording of this wonderful work, presenting an opportunity to put forth your own interpretation!