sop – cl – hp – db

Hymn to Hermes (2018)
soprano, clarinet, harp and double bass (5’)

The text of this piece comes from the 'Orphic Hymns', a group of 87 ritual prayers to Greek and Middle Eastern deities probably written in the 3rd century AD in a community in Anatolia (modern-day Turkey). This was a time when the traditional religious life of the Greek-speaking world which had flourished for centuries was being threatened by the spread of a mysterious cult from Judea which called itself 'The Way' (Christianity). Hermes (Mercury in the Latin world, the root of 'mercurial') is the messenger of the gods, a trickster who governs speech and trade and is therefore the patron of commerce, thieves and diplomats. He is especially important at times of change and transition in life, as his role as divine messenger makes him the revealer of potential and destiny. Each of the Orphic Hymns specifies an incense to be burned during recitation, in this case frankincense.

Original text:

Κλῦθί μου, Ἑρμεία, Διὸς ἄγγελε, Μαιάδος υἱέ,
παγκρατὲς ἦτορ ἔχων, ἐναγώνιε, κοίρανε θνητῶν,
εὔφρων, ποικιλόβουλε, διάκτορε ἀργειφόντα,
πτηνοπέδιλε, φίλανδρε, λόγου θνητοῖσι προφῆτα,
γυμνάσιν ὃς χαίρεις δολίαις τ'ἀπάταις, (σ)τροφιοῦχε,
ἑρμηνεῦ πάντων, κερδέμπορε, λυσιμέριμνε,
ὃς χείρεσσιν ἔχεις εἰρήνης ὅπλον ἀμεμφές,
Κωρυκιῶτα, μάκαρ, ἐριούνιε, ποικιλόμυθε,
ἐργασίαις ἐπαρωγέ, φίλε θνητοῖς ἐν ἀνάγκαις,
γλώσσης δεινὸν ὅπλον τὸ σεβάσμιον ἀνθρώποισι·
κλῦθί μου εὐχομένου, βιότου τέλος ἐσθλὸν ὀπάζων
ἐργασίῃσι, λόγου χάρισιν, καὶ μνημοσύνῃσιν.

English translation:

Hear me, Hermes, envoy of Zeus, son of Maia,
who possesses an all-powerful heart, who presides over games, lord of mortals,
joyful, of changing intent, messenger and killer of Argos,
of the winged sandals, lover of the people, interpreter of divine words for mortals,
you rejoice in the practice of rhetoric and of treacherous artifices, wielder of serpents,
interpreter to all, conductor of trade, disperser of troubles,
who hold in your hand the faultless instrument of peace,
Korykian, blessed one, benevolent one, of changing words,
protector of our works, friend to mortals in our suffering,
instrument of the tongue, terrible and venerable to men,
hear my prayer, and give me a happy end to my life
through my works, the grace of my speech, and my memory.

Commissioned by Tŷ Cerdd for The Hermes Experiment and first performed at St David's Hall, Cardiff on 13th February 2018 by Raphaela Papadakis (soprano), Oliver Pashley (clarinet), Anne Denholm (harp) and Marianne Schofield (double bass)