Salve Deus, Rex Judaeorum - forgotten voices.

Salve Deus, Rex Judaeorum sets lines from the extraordinary 1611 poem of the same name by Aemilia Lanyer (forgotten voice one) and I was excited by this text from the moment I found it. The piece is subtitled ‘An Easter Cantata’ and is intended to deliver the dramatic narrative of the Passion. There are five movements, 'I. Prologue', 'II. Gethsemane', 'III. The Trial', 'IV. The Journey to the Cross' and 'V. Epilogue' that can be performed as a single piece with a duration of approximately twenty minutes or separately within the liturgy. It is scored for choir, chamber choir, solo soprano, organ and optional bell but could be sung by full or chamber choir throughout with a soloist from within the choir. 


​The thing that most interested me about this text was the telling of the story from a female perspective, particularly the reference to Pilate’s wife (forgotten voice two), who becomes the solo soprano narrator in my interpretation. Pilate's wife merits a whole thirty-seven words in Matthew 27:19, KJV (also published in 1611), '​When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.' In Lanyer's poem this becomes 'O noble Gov'nor make thou yet pause, do not in innocent blood imbrue thy hands, but hear the words of thy most worthy wife who sends to thee to beg her Saviour's life.' These words in 'Movement III. The Trial' are set against the restless crowd singing crucifigerent, 'crucify him'. Other particularly beautiful phrases include, 'They slept in ease whilst Thou in paine did pray; Loe, they in sleepe and Thou in sorrow drown'd', ('Movement II. Gethsemane') and 'The sun grew darke and scorned to give them light, the moon and starres did hide themselves for shame.' ('Movement IV. The Journey to the Cross').

---

​'Salve Deus, Rex Judaeorum' is primarily a sacred text but with a twist. It is regarded as one of the first pieces of feminist writing, both as the first book of poems to be published under a female name in England and for its content dedicated exclusively to women. The title poem retells Christ’s Passion but from a female perspective that not only shows the men involved in the story as weak and untrustworthy but also includes, at the moment of Pilate’s condemnation, a substantial defence of Eve. The poem calls for a new age of gender equality and says that as man was made by God to rule all, (including women) he must take responsibility for agreeing to eat the apple and therefore: 'Your fault beeing greater, why should you disdaine Our beeing your equals, free from tyranny?'​

Aemilia, a member of the Bassano family of musicians, was clearly an intelligent, talented, articulate and educated woman at a time when women were almost entirely at the mercy of men. Her situation is demonstrated by her role as mistress to Henry Carey, Lord Hunsdon, cousin and Lord Chamberlain to Elizabeth I who married her off to her cousin when she became pregnant. Only one edition of ‘Salve Deus, Rex Judaeorum’ was printed in Aemilia’s lifetime and it appears to have made little impact. As with so many women of the time, her work was forgotten and has only recently become the subject of academic interest from the 1970s onwards. 

​The intention in the first performance, (postponed from March 28th 2020 due to Covid-19 and now taking place in Odiham, Hampshire on April 2nd 2022) is to place the solo soprano, Pilate's wife (sung by the fabulous Sarah Dacey) in the raised organ loft at the front of the performance space, the chamber choir beneath the organ loft occupied by the equally fabulous Michael Higgins, the main choir in the chapels at the back of the church and the bell (in this instance a tubular bell) in close proximity to the tower. Part of the main choir will then move into the aisles for some sections, including the homophonic salve sections that open and close the piece but also the aleatoric whispered crucifigerent sections in ‘Movement III. The Trial’, immersing the audience in the both the sound and the experience of being in the restless crowd calling for Jesus’ crucifixion. 

​My thanks go to Luminosa for commissioning the piece for their tenth anniversary and to Rebekah Abbott, Artistic Director, Conductor and musical force of  nature for all her work in shaping the performance and remaining committed to the piece throughout the past two years. Happy twelfth anniversary Luminosa and I can't wait to hear it!

Score available following premiere from Composers Edition at 
https://composersedition.com/salve-deus-rex-judaeorum/
​
Saturday April 2nd 2022, 7.30pm
All Saints Church, Odiham, Hampshire, RG29 1ND
Programme: McDOWALL: Da Vinci Requiem; WILLIS: Salve Deus; VAUGHAN-WILLIAMS: 5 Mystical Songs. Also includes a talk by Cecilia McDowall.
Tickets at https://luminosamusic.com/index.php/box-office/