James MacMillan: O Bone Jesu

McGregor, Richard ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6685-2589 (2007) James MacMillan: O Bone Jesu. In: Musica Scotica Conference, 28 April 2007, University of Glasgow, UK. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

MacMillan first became aware of the original Carver motet while in Manchester in the 1980s. There, under David Fallows he arranged for a performance of it. In his programme note for the CD he speaks of wanting to find an opportunity to use the text himself, an opportunity presented by the commission from The Sixteen for performance in a programme which would include the original Carver. Although he asserts that no reference is made to the original, well, not consciously one might add, it is significant that MacMillan dedicated this work to his twins on the occasion of their First Communion, because the text speaks of ‘the most precious blood of Jesus’ which will ‘wash way …sin’, clearly a very appropriate text for a Catholic First Communion. However I think there is more to it than that. If you were here last year you may remember that MacMillan speaks of the starting point for a work being ‘transubstantiated into the musical’. Here then is perhaps the most potent of metaphors in relation to the text: the text which speaks of the power of the blood of Christ is itself ‘transubstantiated’ into MacMillan’s new musical setting of those very words.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)
Departments:	Academic Departments > Institute of Arts (IOA) > Performing Arts
Additional Information:	A powerpoint is available for this lecture and can be obtained for personal use on application to the respective author.
Depositing User:	Anna Lupton
Date Deposited:	16 Oct 2019 15:01
Last Modified:	11 Jan 2024 20:00
URI:	https://insight.cumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/5168

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