Jerusalem Luminosa (Jerusalem, City of Light)

Voicing: SA chorus or duet, a cappella
             TB chorus or duet, a cappella
Text: attrib. Thomas à Kempis; 15th c.
Language: Latin
Duration: 3 min.
Premiere: July 2001 -- l'Eglise Saint Severin, Paris, France
See the Score: pdf sample
Published by: SA score -- Kjos Music Press, Cat. No. 6323 (2006)
                      TB score -- please contact Abbie for ordering instructions
Order now: Find a Kjos dealer near you

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LISTEN:

Jenny Lind Singers of Augustana College (SA): mp3 excerpt, 0:52, 715 KB

Men's Ensemble of Macalester College (TB): mp3, 2:46, 2.6 MB

Glen Ellyn Children's Chorus (SA):

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REVIEW:

"Abbie Betinis's music passes the 'fresh test' for me - it's original, vital, and engaging for both singers and audience. My singers have very much enjoyed Jerusalem Luminosa and we have used it on several concerts this season."
- Emily Ellsworth, artistic director, Glen Ellyn Children's Chorus of Greater Chicago

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PROGRAM NOTE:

Jerusalem Luminosa is an exploration of peace. The fifteenth century text is taken from a much longer poem celebrating Jerusalem and the unmeasured praises sung about its everlasting light.

The music begins in a tranquil state. What ensues, however, is another vision of true peace: not a peace that pacifies, but one that engages in the act of peace-making -- of compromise, and of joy in collaboration. The voices “play tag,” each part constantly trying to catch up with the other, lending and borrowing beats in order to align at cadences and partner at melodic peaks.

The text concedes to the rhythmic compromising by allowing many modifications to its malleable syllables. Thus “Jerusalem Luminosa” becomes “Luminosalem,” and “Alleluia, Alleluia” elides into “Allelui’Alleluia.” Another example of the textual cross-pollination is the final “Luminos’Alleluia.” This last measure pairs a “compromised” text with a rhythmic unison, thus finally accepting the pacis visio (vision of peace).

Today we know Jerusalem as a city shrouded in generations of controversy and war. Indeed, if there could only be some lending and borrowing, some geographical, moral, and religious compensation in that part of the world and everywhere, perhaps peace would be closer at hand.

- Abbie Betinis, 2002

TEXT: Alleluia. Jerusalem luminosa, Verae pacis visio. Alleluia. Totum sanctum, totum mundum,        In te quidquid cernitur. - attrib. Thomas à Kempis

TRANSLATION: Alleluia. Jerusalem, city of light, Vision of true peace. Alleluia. All holy, all elegant, Is that which shows itself in thee. - anon.

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Performed by:

(Have you performed this work?   Contact me to add your ensemble.)