Contra Plagam (from Organ Symphony No. 18) (2020)

Bernard Heyes (b. 1951) — Contra Plagam (from Organ Symphony No. 18) (2020)

The composer has written: “In the 9th century AD the eminent Irish scholar and cleric Sedulius Scottus wrote a poem entitled “Contra Plagam” (Against the plague). The poem urges God to spare the people from plague. The parallels between this 9th century poem and the present COVID-19 pandemic are obvious to see. In order to depict this poem, I used a specific mode melodically and harmonically in various ways. There are quasi-chorale passages and repeated refrains of supplication. Throughout the music a "Plague Theme" appears four times becoming gradually louder. This piece is in essence mournful but at the same time it possesses a glint of optimism.”

English composer Bernard J. D. Heyes (b. 1951) was born in Kent and began his musical studies at age 21. As a composer, he has focused particularly on music for the organ, most especially his extensive cycle of 20 organ symphonies. Heyes’s musical style draws on a variety of influences and diverse sources of inspiration including the natural world (especially gardens and trees), states of transcendence, ancient Greek philosophy, world cultures and places, life, death, and subatomic physics. The result is music of large scale that connects to the organ’s traditional repertoire while also speaking with a profound and individual voice.

Published by Heyes Music (bernardheyes.org.uk)