ADAM LAY YBOUNDEN (PETER WARLOCK, 1922) - The Cathedral Children's Choir, Singapore

Описание: The text of "Adam lay ybounden" comes from early 15th century England, celebrating God bringing forth good from the evil of Adam's sin.

As it describes, Adam was held in bonds ("ybounden") until Jesus' redemption was completed ("four thousand winter" traditionally said to be the length of time between Genesis and Jesus' birth).

His punishment--and that of all men descended from him--was "all for an apple that he took", as written in Scripture.

And yet, had he not sinned, we would not have seen the good we now recognise to have come out of the salvific plan that God enacted to save us--that Jesus took flesh to live among us, that he chose his Blessed Mother from among men and made her fit to be his mother, and that he made her a "heavené queen".

In that last verse, the unison choir sings a swirling, jubilant chorus: "Blessed be the time the apple taken was, Deo gracias (thanks be to God)!"

In so doing, they are not praising the fact that Adam fell (bringing ruin to the human race) but rather the infinite mercy of God that brought such good from such evil, out of his immense love.

The popularity of this text can be perhaps attributed to the simplicity of its message, for it has been set to music numerous times by contemporary composers such as Peter Warlock (1894-1930), Boris Ord (1897-1961) and Benjamin Britten (1913-1976).

Text:
Adam lay ybounden,
Bounden in a bond;
Four thousand winter,
Thought he not too long.

And all was for an apple,
An apple that he took.
As clerkes finden,
Written in their book.

Ne had the apple taken been,
The apple taken been,
Ne had never our ladie,
Abeen heav'ne queen.

Blessed be the time
That apple taken was,
Therefore we moun singen.
Deo gratias!

Credits:
Conductor: Angela Lim
Organist: Alphonsus Chern
Programme notes: Matilda Chia
Video: Saint Max Story and Media

The Cathedral Children's Choir and the
Cathedral Choir of Saint Gregory the Great
The Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, Singapore