VocalEssence Ensemble Singers; Aaron David Miller, organ

Mass of Innocence and Experience is a missa brevis with poems of Blake alongside traditional, plainchant settings of the Latin ordinaries.

Its four movements are arranged as follows:
KYRIE: plainchant (women) Poison Tree – Blake (men) Sins of hatred
GLORIA: plainchant (women) Spring – Blake (men) Joy of Creation
SANCTUS: plainchant (women) O Rose – Blake (men) Sins of Flesh
AGNUS DEI: plainchant (men) Little Lamb – Blake (women) Joy of Creator

There are thus two poems from the Songs of Innocence sung by the women, and two from Songs of Experience sung by the men, with the plainchant acting as a sort of cantus firmus throughout. In the Kyrie and Sanctus the evil and suffering in the poems is opposed to, yet perhaps finds a solution in, the Mass texts; whereas in the Gloria and Agnus Dei the poems and texts are in partnership, amplifying the meaning of each.

The evil in the Kyrie-Poison Tree is almost a Cain and Abel scenario, the beginning of human life with the tragedy of original sin; the Gloria-Spring is the angelic hymn at the birth of Christ as if ushering in a new season or era; in the Sanctus-Rose the holiness of God is set alongside the disordered passions of humans; and in Agnus-Little Lamb we see almost a vision of the end of time, with Christ gathering the lambs under His arms.

The music of the Blake settings is based on transformations of the plainchant melodies. In the two movements where the texts are most opposed (Kyrie and Sanctus) the melodies are closest; whereas in the Gloria it is the harmonic implications of the Missa de Angelis which are utilized. At the Kyrie climax, as the Blake text reveals more and more its nightmare vision of hatred and bitterness, the music is of a style more associated with love. The overlapping sequences, based on the Kyrie chant, are almost banal as they rise towards the pinnacle of the murder and the imploring canonic outburst of the women’s choir. In the Gloria and Agnus Dei the women’s music is of the utmost innocence—either songs at play or a gentle lullaby.
—Stephen Hough

Kyrie (Poison Tree) Kyrie eleison Lord, have mercy I was angry with my friend: I told my wrath, my wrath did end. I was angry with my foe: I told it not, my wrath did grow. And I water’d it in fears, Night and morning with my tears; And I sunned it with smiles, And with soft deceitful wiles, And it grew both day and night, Till it bore an apple bright; And my foe beheld it shine, And he knew that it was mine, And into my garden stole When the night had veil’d the pole: In the morning glad I see My foe outstretched beneath the tree. Christe eleison Christ, have mercy Kyrie eleison Lord, have mercy Gloria (Spring) Gloria in excelsis Deo. Glory be to God in the highest. Et in terra pax And in earth peace hominibus bonæ voluntatis. to all of good will. Laudamus te. Benedicimus te. We praise Thee. We bless Thee. Adoramus te. Glorificamus te. We worship Thee. We glorify Thee. Gratias agimus tibi We give thanks to Thee propter magnam gloriam tuam. for Thy great glory. Sound the flute! Now it’s mute. Birds delight Day and night; Nightingale, In the dale, Lark in sky, Merrily, Merrily, merrily, to welcome in the Year. Domine Deus, Rex caelestis, O Lord God, Heavenly King, Deus Pater omnipotens. God the Father Almighty. Domine Fili unigenite. Jesu Christe. O Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son. Domine Deus, Agnus Dei, Lord God, Lamb of God, Filius Patris. Son of the Father. Little Boy, Full of joy; Little Girl, Sweet and small; Cock does crow, So do you; Merry voice, Infant noise, Merrily, merrily, to welcome in the Year. Qui tollis peccata mundi, Thou that takest away the sins of the world, miserere nobis. have mercy upon us. Qui tollis peccata mundi, Thou that takest away the sins of the world, suscipe deprecationem nostram. receive our prayer. Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris, Thou that sittest at the right hand of the Father, miserere nobis. have mercy upon us. Quoniam tu solus Sanctus, For thou only art holy, Little Lamb, Here I am; Come and lick My white neck; tu solus Dominus, thou only art the Lord, Let me pull Your soft wool; Let me kiss Your soft face: tu solus Altissimus, Jesu Christe. thou only art the Most High, Jesus Christ. Merrily, merrily, we welcome in the Year. Cum Sancto Spiritu, Together with the Holy Ghost, in gloria Dei Patris. in the glory of God the Father. Amen. Amen. Sound the flute! Full of Joy! Sanctus (O Rose) Sanctus, Sanctus, Holy, Holy, O Rose, thou art sick! The invisible worm, That flies in the night, In the howling storm, Has found out thy bed Of crimson joy: Sanctus, Sanctus, Dominus Deus Sabaoth. Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts. Pleni sunt caeli et terra, gloria tua. Heaven and earth are full of Thy glory. Hosanna in excelsis. Hosanna in the highest. And his dark secret love Does thy life destroy. Benedictus qui venit Blessed are they that come In nomine Domini. In the name of the Lord. Hosanna in excelsis. Hosanna in the highest. Agnus Dei (Little Lamb) Little Lamb, who made thee? Dost thou know who made thee? Gave thee life and bid thee feed, By the stream and o’er the mead; Gave thee clothing of delight, Softest clothing, wooly, bright; Gave thee such a tender voice, Making all the vales rejoice? Little Lamb, who made thee? Dost thou know who made thee? Little Lamb, I’ll tell thee; Little Lamb, I’ll tell thee: He is callèd by thy name, For He calls Himself a Lamb. He is meek, and He is mild: He became a little child. I a child, and thou a lamb. We are callèd by His name. Little Lamb, God bless thee! Little Lamb, God bless thee! Agnus Dei, Lamb of God, qui tollis peccata mundi, Who takest away the sins of the world, miserere nobis. Have mercy upon us. Agnus Dei. Lamb of God. Dona nobis pacem. Grant us peace.